Shattered Mirror
by Mink
Summary: The "Tenchi family" attempts to repair damaged relationships after three, long, separated years.
1. The Uprooted Tree

SHATTERED MIRROR  
by Emily "Mink" Koh  
Part 1: The Uprooted Tree  
  
DISCLAIMER: Tenchi Muyo! is © Pioneer Entertainment and AIC.   
I am in no way affiliated with them, nor do I own it. "Shattered   
Mirror" is © 2000, "Mink." (Emily Koh.) Do not repost elsewhere   
w/o permission.   
  
C&C demanded at gun point. -_-; Send to mink249@aol.com!  
  
* See notes at bottom.  
  
***  
  
"You're here for questioning. It depends on how much you   
agree to reveal. Truth of the matter is, if you're being willing,   
you might not get an arrest warrant."  
  
The Galaxy Police Officer steadied her eyes level with the   
shorter person in front of her, narrowing hers ever so slightly.   
Years of practice had made her an excellent one to be the officer   
to question suspects -- they usually broke down during this stage,   
and spilled everything.  
  
But the person in front of her refused to crack. Her eyes were   
as firm as the questioner, and she tossed her mane of red hair,  
and steadied her gaze.  
  
"Really. You should become a better inquirer."  
  
"I'm offering you your freedom. Through verbal responses."  
  
"Wow. Which means I'll be betraying my very daughter..."  
  
The officer's eye twitched involuntarily, and she began to back   
away, her fists tightening. "Listen..."  
  
The other officer, supervising the questioning, was obviously a   
superior. "Don't let your emotions get the best of you," she   
advised to her colleague. "She's only making you crack -- isn't   
she? It's the other way around. You can do this."  
  
The questioner regained confidence, sighing. "You are the   
creator of Ryoko, classification A-1 criminal, are you not?" Her   
eyes were brittle and cold, no longer forgiving.  
  
"Please, I much prefer the word 'mother.' You know that well,   
don't you? After spending time with us... and lesson number one,  
you never tell a mother that her daughter is a class A-1 criminal,"  
came the sarcastic reply.  
  
"She's not your daughter," the sentence was flung out. "You   
created her out of Mass. And by our classification, it isn't quite --"  
  
The red-haired person seemed to flare up. "By your   
classifications, humans are not humans, they are more  
specifically categorized as what planet they're from. Are we not   
all humans, or have aspects of that Earthling trait? And by your   
classification, Ryoko is a Class A-1 criminal, but you have no idea   
what that exactly means, do you, besides that she's one of the   
most dangerous and top wanted criminals in the galaxy?"  
  
Both officers stirred in the room. "We can arrest her," the   
superior said thoughtfully.  
  
"No." The reply came quick. Then the officer gave a serious   
face towards the person in front of her, and her voice was struggling  
and almost fake. "Washu-san. Please tell us where Ryoko is."  
  
"Over my dead body."  
  
The officer found herself seething quietly. "OK, I'm not asking   
nicely again. Ryoko has been causing us havoc for a long time now!   
She must be punished."  
  
"How will you contain her in a prison cell? Likely, she has   
much experience and can easily escape," came the reply from   
the scientist.  
  
"Actually, we have you to thank for that," said the superior,   
interrupting, a sly smirk on her face. "Isn't it wonderful? You   
created the hyperspace cell technology, did you not?"  
  
Washu gaped. "I... that wasn't meant for Galaxy Police   
criminals. It was a cell I planned to use for my captured   
experiments..."  
  
"Lucky that we discovered about your plans, eh? Proved   
to be quite useful." The superior smiled coyly. "That's the thing   
that will confine Ryoko for all eternity. It will be grand, I think."  
  
"You can't contain a human life in a hyperspace cell for  
so long!"  
  
"She's not human," came the dry reply. "Remember, if  
she was created of Mass, and has a will to obliterate millions of   
planets --"  
  
"She has her bad traits, but --"  
  
"You call those 'bad traits'? More like 'killer traits,' don't you  
think? And I don't want that 'under the influence of Kagato' story.  
You know you're over and done with." The superior looked up.  
"Seize her."  
  
The superior snapped her fingers, and two robots materialized.   
Evidently, they were cleaning robots -- with the ability to grasp   
and follow more complex commands, as Washu discovered.  
  
As she was taken away, Washu struggled to leave one comment:  
  
"You may believe Ryoko is inhumane. But the only person  
who is inhumane is you, Kiyone. What happened?"  
  
The look of despair left Kiyone's reply choked.  
  
***  
  
"It is a nice day."  
  
"Mmm," agreed the blonde girl. Mihoshi stared at the sky   
with blank eyes. "The clouds..."  
  
The Jurain princess next to her smiled gently. "They are   
pretty, aren't they?" she said softly. "A huge cluster of   
pillows, in my opinion. Fluffed and..."  
  
Absentmindedly, Mihoshi wandered into the house, while   
Aeka was in mid-sentence.  
  
As usual.  
  
Aeka sighed, a pained look on her face. Three years   
changed everything and everyone. If only she could take that   
time back. If only...  
  
In life, there were no time for "if only" moments. They   
were wasted away. You were only pining for a fantasy moment,   
and that could never happen.  
  
Mihoshi had been a natural disaster when she had been her   
normal self, three years ago. Bubbly and excited. Vexed everyone   
else, but she was the one who was there for comic relief in their   
lives. An entertainer, she had been.  
  
Slowly, after Kiyone left, Mihoshi faded, like a bright   
blanket that had been faded over the years. The bright   
color evaporated into a murky, colorless cloth, and that was Mihoshi   
herself.  
  
She was only a robot, murmuring her own agreement at times.   
She said little, and ate so little. Therefore, she was skinny, and   
looked so much like a twig that one could easily snap her.  
  
Mihoshi had already been snapped.  
  
Kiyone was the one who had been forced to snap that twig.   
After all these years, when Kiyone had tried so hard to snap that   
resilient girl, she finally managed to snap it so hard without even  
trying, that the splinters still remained.  
  
As for Tenchi, Ryoko's disappearance had made him fade away,   
too. He tried not to show it as much, because he never wanted to  
show how much he favored someone more than the other.  
  
Aeka knew that he favored Ryoko in a way that was different   
from the way he favored Aeka herself. But she didn't blame him --   
everyone had been pining for Ryoko.  
  
Kiyone's departure had ultimately been linked to Ryoko's.   
No one, however, blamed it on Kiyone, except for perhaps Aeka.   
She never said it out loud, but she couldn't help but point   
fingers at this former friend who had betrayed everyone's trust   
for a promotion.  
  
Aeka didn't really like to admit it, but she did miss Ryoko.   
With only Mihoshi and her in the Masaki house now, it was lonely.   
And Mihoshi had therein lost her job and her ship, so in conclusion,   
she was stranded on Earth. Not that she cared -- she was mindless,   
these days. Ryo-ohki had left with Ryoko against her will, and  
Aeka certainly couldn't return to Jurai, she wasn't welcome anymore.  
  
No one to fight with.  
  
How bare and silent the walls sounded.  
  
Aeka silently put on her slippers, and then, albeit   
unwillingly, began to take a walk. She found herself strolling   
into the forest, where the sun caved in through the gasps of the   
leaves, providing a glorious light show.  
  
Her eyes fell on a familiar looking pond.  
  
"Oneesama! Don't be a chicken, come on in! The water's fine!"  
  
Aeka jumped with a start. "Sasami?"  
  
Oh, how she hated memories. The fleeting image of young   
Sasami three years ago left the pond as quickly as it had come,   
and Aeka found herself crumpling to the ground, and she began to   
cry horribly. "Sasami..."  
  
"Aeka-san! What's the matter?!"  
  
Tenchi's horrified voice rang against the looming silence   
that had failed to envelop Aeka, and she found herself being helped   
up by a horror-struck Tenchi, who was only too glad to help   
smoothen the crumpled edges of Aeka's worries out.  
  
"Oh... Tenchi-sama..." Aeka sniffled. "I didn't mean to worry   
you." She braved a smile. "I was... only..."  
  
Tenchi held her hands. "Are you okay?" he asked comfortingly.  
  
Strange. In three years, Aeka had not felt that close to   
Tenchi. Like Mihoshi, he had drifted away, although he tried to   
hard not to make that apparent. Strange, how Aeka's own attraction   
to Tenchi had faded over the years. It was still there, of course,   
but part of it seemed pointless if she had no rival to fight with.  
  
The memory of Ryoko teased her to cry again, and she shook   
her head quickly. "No, no, no..."  
  
"Aeka-san! Please, come to your senses!" Tenchi said,   
shocked again, and shook her hands. "Aeka-san!"  
  
By then, Aeka was blubbering again. "Oh, Tenchi-sama. The   
memories... the memories..."  
  
"They do try to blame us, don't they?" Tenchi sympathized.  
  
Moments later, the two of them were sitting under a tree.   
Tenchi was sitting next to Aeka, mentally cradling her, in a sense,   
that Aeka felt.  
  
Aeka realized that there was nothing morosely romantic about   
this. And she was in no mood to define it that way, either. The   
two were upset about the past. They could do nothing about that,   
things happened. He was comforting her. And Tenchi always had   
comforted someone in his life, that was his duty -- no questions  
asked. But who comforted him in his own sorrow?  
  
"Do you remember," Tenchi said slowly, "when we thought  
that Ryoko drowned in that pond?" He chuckled. "Turns out that  
she was trying to make you feel bad for an earlier fight and me  
bad for rebuking her. Serves me right, I deserved that scare."  
  
Aeka sniffed. "Please... Tenchi-sama. I beg of you."   
The request was enough, and Tenchi apologized.  
  
"I didn't mean to make you sad, Aeka-san. But memories   
don't have to make you sad! I laugh at all the good times we all   
had together."  
  
"You don't understand," Aeka said.  
  
"You're right, I don't." Tenchi nodded. "I have never been   
alone in my life -- this is my first. How could I be alone, with   
six women after me?" He smiled, and Aeka smiled as well. "But...   
you don't have to cry."  
  
"Tenchi-sama..."  
  
Tenchi got up. "Well, I still have some work to finish,   
Aeka-san. I'll see you later."  
  
Aeka nodded. "I won't cry, I promise."  
  
But as she saw him leave, she was frozen by the scene of a   
few tears outlined in Tenchi's eyes.  
  
***  
  
"Hime-sama, the visitors have arrived..."  
  
"The ambassadors from Ryuugi have come."  
  
In her full glory, Sasami stepped away from the balcony.   
"Already? They're very early," she said calmly.  
  
She was wearing the formal Juraian princess attire, meant   
for the one in line for the throne. It seemed strange on her   
figure, seeing as how she was rather petite. Her young teenage   
look hardly gave the look that she ruled an entire planet.  
  
"The ambassadors are worried that you will not keep our side   
of the peace treaty," Azaka reported faithfully.  
  
"They claimed you were too young to... well, understand right   
and wrong. They claimed also that you never have or would experience   
battles. So they assumed you knew nothing of peace." That was the   
final report from Kamidake.  
  
Sasami's voice was cold and firm -- as it had been, for a   
long time now. No more of that melodic, sing-song, childish voice.   
She had been forced to conform from her childish ways to one of a   
higher order. "Evidently, Ryuugi is ruled by an amateur ruler,"   
she said distinctly. "See to it that the ambassadors feel at home,  
here on Jurai. Tell them that I am in no state to meet them today.   
They shall have to wait until tomorrow."  
  
"Yes!"  
  
Sasami watched the guardians -- *her* guardians -- drift   
away, and she returned to the balcony.  
  
Last night, a storm had verged on Jurai. How horrible it had   
been. She had been quite surprised at how early the Ryuugi   
ambassadors had come -- in spite of the storm, that was.  
  
It was sad to see the ruins in the long yard of her palace.   
Trees were broken and her eyes searched the place, hoping for at  
least one tree.  
  
"The Promise Tree won't have splintered, though. It has   
lasted for so long..." Her voice suddenly had a childish ring to it.  
  
At that moment, Sasami regretted thinking about it. The   
Promise Tree had been planted by Tenchi-niichan, when he and the   
others had come to visit Jurai... well, accumulated in Earth years,   
that would be roughly three years ago.  
  
She suddenly giggled, remembering the memory. Being so   
proper had taken away her childishness, and it felt good to  
giggle again.  
  
They had gone to make proper and good disguises for Ryoko and   
Washu. They had proposed that they should chop off both of the two   
women's beautiful locks, but both bawled (well, Ryoko did anyway)   
and protested, and even Tenchi agreed that it was unnecessary.  
  
And together, they had all found a seed, and planted it into   
the soil, and it had grown up so big and tall! Amazing, in only   
such a short time.  
  
So Sasami regarded it as having magic. True, that was a   
childish thought. But when she was alone, she was allowed to have   
childish thoughts.  
  
The Promise Tree had been named by Mihoshi. "See, we write   
all our promises on a sheet of paper, then we tie it to the tree.   
Like resolutions."  
  
"Ooh! I have a good one! 'I promise that I will marry Tenchi,'"   
Ryoko recited, and looked at Aeka, smirking.  
  
"Wh-what, how conceited! You can't make a promise like that!"  
  
"Oh, I can't? Okay, then, 'I promise to make sure that Aeka  
doesn't marry Tenchi!"  
  
"Hey you!"  
  
And the two had argued considerably. Finally, Tenchi had   
suggested that in the midst of all their wishes, all of them  
should share one wish.  
  
That one wish would be that... well, that they would all   
live happily ever after.  
  
It was sad how life wasn't a fairy tale.  
  
To her utter shock and dismay -- or terror -- the Promise   
Tree was no longer in its rightful place.  
  
It lay on its side, uprooted, the roots all gnarled and   
poking out, a terrible sight.  
  
Sasami's eyes were blank.  
  
"That's what happened to us... our family was uprooted from   
the firm soil, and here we are, today."  
  
Then her eyes closed. "Oneesama -- no, Aeka -- I'm waiting.  
Sasami has a lot to reveal."  
  
TSUZUKU  
  
***  
  
AUTHOR's NOTES  
  
Again, a storyline revision. Why is that?  
  
I realized that while I mapped out the entire story, I needed  
more elements from the OVA series than the STM series. I  
was forced to write the whole Yuugi part out of the story, but  
again, she didn't have any significance in this fanfic to begin  
with, so that wasn't a problem.  
  
What was a problem was fitting Kiyone in. Kiyone was never  
in the OVA series, the only bit we see of her is in Mihoshi's  
special episode and in the "Manatsu No Eve" movie that is  
based off the OVA series, but features Kiyone.  
  
So in a way, you could say that I'm keeping the same  
relations from the TV series but using the OVA storyline.  
Everything is OVA-based, there is nothing about the TV  
series that is even morosely similar to this. So I guess you  
could say that's it's based off the second movie. No, wait,  
that's strong. NO MAYUKA, I repeat, there is NO Mayuka.  
  
Look out for other parts of this story and the other fanfics!  
Keep on reading! ^_^ And happy holidays and a new year!  
  
-- Emily Koh, December 28, 2000  
  
***  
  
UPDATES:  
  
02.19.01 -- Revised by Mike.  
12.30.00 -- Revised by Ian.  
12.28.00 -- Revised storyline, fixed a few minor things.  
10.25.00 -- Revised story with OVA perspective.  
10.17.00 -- Fixed alignment and author heading.  
10.12.00 -- Revised story.  
09.18.00 -- Revised by Jessica.  
09.12.00 -- Preread by Miyabi.  
  
  



	2. An Ominous Invitation

SHATTERED MIRROR  
by Emily "Mink" Koh (mink@envy.nu)  
Part 2: An Ominous Invitation  
  
DISCLAIMER: "Tenchi Muyo! Ryo-ohki" is © Pioneer   
Entertainment and AIC. I am in no way affiliated with   
them, nor do I own it. "Shattered Mirror" is © 2000,  
Emily "Mink" Koh. Do not repost w/o permission.  
  
* See notes at bottom.  
  
***  
  
Mihoshi sat silently, watching the birds flutter to and   
fro by her own window side. She stared without a flicker   
of interest, looking like an immobile statue that had been   
placed there.  
  
How peaceful birds were. A large family had a nest in a   
branch... just by Mihoshi's window. There was the mother   
and the father, tending to their children, who were   
raucously loud and unmerciful.  
  
If she was her old self, she would have felt pity for the   
parents. Right now, she felt nothing.  
  
She had seen some birds build this particular nest three   
years ago. In doing so, they had allowed Mihoshi to keep   
track of all the generations that flocked to this area.  
  
Washu had found it rather peculiar that different birds   
flocked to this same nest, created by the first   
generation a long time ago. Mihoshi had her own guess   
that members of the original family knew this "sacred   
place," and always came here for their breeding grounds.  
  
She had made up her own stories with them, narrating each   
of their voices. Kiyone would yell at her to shut up,   
because she wanted some extra sleep in the morning. Then   
she threatened to get her *own* apartment in Tokyo, and   
Mihoshi begged her not to, and pleaded the birds to be   
silent.  
  
Mihoshi sighed. She used to imagine that the birds were   
the epitome of the perfect family -- and they were the   
big "Tenchi family" reincarnation, in fowl form.  
  
But while her family got tattered and torn, the birds'   
families were perfect. There was no harm, because they   
had been smart to start a family in such a secluded place,   
where danger could not reach them.  
  
Mihoshi wanted to end that perfection.  
  
She wanted them to feel what she had felt... she wanted   
to see a family fall apart at the seams, like a cloth   
being ripped. And there was nothing to tear this family   
apart...  
  
She wasn't sure what she was doing.  
  
The nest wasn't so far way, when you opened the window.   
Mihoshi could reach with her fingers. The parents were   
away, fetching food, and the babies were chirping   
inconsolably.  
  
Strange, a storm last night hadn't even moved the nest.  
  
So unlike her family's storm that ruined them all...  
  
Mihoshi could touch the nest just barely with her   
fingertips. A longer stretch could tip it over, sending   
it hurtling to the ground for someone to discover the   
dead babies in.  
  
But something stopped her -- someone stopped her.  
  
They were holding onto her wrists, and Mihoshi flailed   
her arms. "Let me go!" she protested loudly. "I have   
to... I have to... make them go away..."  
  
Katsuhito hushed her, prying her away from the window   
and then leading her to her folded-up futon. There,   
Mihoshi began to cry. "It's okay," Katsuhito said.  
  
"No... I have to make the birds leave... or Kiyone will   
leave me..."  
  
***  
  
Ryoko coasted along the galaxy, laughing sadistically. There  
came a harried and weary "Miya" from the ship she was on --  
namely, Ryo-ohki.  
  
"That was a cleaner capture than I could have asked for,"   
Ryoko said calmly. "Good thing you distracted them by   
firing away at the bank area. She offered a smile, not   
twisted in sick humor, as it usually had been.  
  
It was one of those rare moments, when a real smile came.  
  
"Excellent, excellent," Ryoko said. "Shall we steal some   
carrots?"  
  
But Ryo-ohki returned a shameful "Miyaaaa," and became   
quiet.  
  
Annoyed, Ryoko sighed. "What do you want, them? You have   
no use for money yourself... what? What do you mean,   
'It's not that'?"  
  
Ryoko rolled her eyes. "Good thing you're in ship form   
ninety percent of the time. I wouldn't have to deal with   
your insufferable rodent composure." She knew the words   
would sting Ryo-ohki, and her own heart was sliced with   
guilt, but said nothing to recompense for her behavior.  
  
Why she had agreed to bring along Ryo-ohki -- besides the   
fact that Ryo-ohki was indeed hers, and her ship --   
puzzled Ryoko.  
  
No, she knew exactly why.  
  
Self pity for the creature, really. With Sasami gone,   
Ryo-ohki had been heartbroken. It annoyed Ryoko that   
Sasami could forget her friend as easily as she had taken   
the throne of Jurai with the snap of her fingers. For   
whatever reason Sasami had left, Ryoko had always   
suspected she would take Ryo-ohki (with Ryoko's consent,   
of course).  
  
Well, that was better off for Jurai if Sasami was the   
ruler. Aeka was careless and irresponsible, silly and--  
  
Ryoko's knuckles turned while as she grasped the armrest   
of her control seat. Dammit, Ryo-ohki, Ryoko fumed to   
herself. Just by being here, with me... how dare you   
make me think of her.  
  
Make them stop, Ryoko thought. God, make them stop.  
  
Two faces appeared in her brain as she closed her eyes.  
  
Tenchi smiled. "Let's go, Ryoko! Come on, they're waiting   
for us!"  
  
Her eyes shot open. "Tenchi?"  
  
The ship came to an abrupt stop. "Miya?" Ryo-ohki asked,   
with a flicker of recognition in her memory.  
  
The next face overlapped Tenchi's face. It was Kiyone.  
  
"Ryoko-san... no! You don't think -- me?! You think I  
did this? I would *never* tip you off! It wasn't me!"  
  
Ryo-ohki trembled as Ryoko pounded her fist into her open  
palm. "Kiyone... I'd like to smash her face."  
  
Then Ryoko sighed. "I couldn't. I guess I'm lucky that   
I had her to begin this entire chaos -- she was the one   
who reawakened my own wildness, to run free like this,   
as a space pirate."  
  
Silently, she walked to the back room, and Ryo-ohki's   
curious "Miya?" echoed through the ship.  
  
The ship was large. The hallways bent, and finally,   
Ryoko found herself in a familiar-looking room.  
  
Reminiscent of the Masaki living room, really.  
  
She sighed, as she sprawled over the couch, and her eyes   
were distant, not truly focusing on one thing.  
  
"Dammit!" she cried, after a moment, and her foot kicked   
out instinctively at the coffee table. The top of the   
table swung open, and Ryoko sat up in alarm. "What?!"  
  
Then she quieted down. Inside this secret compartment,   
there were many things scattered about.  
  
Pictures... items...  
  
Ryoko sat down quietly, like a child discovering some   
miraculous toy. Her fingers ran over the pictures. The   
Christmas pictures... the picture that Sasami had snapped   
while Ryoko and Aeka had been having a water fight by the   
lake... Mihoshi and Kiyone... the days from the carnival...   
a picture Washu had managed to take, of a horrible Ryoko   
snagged in one of her experiments...  
  
Her breath caught short, when Ryoko found a small snapshot  
entangled upon this mess. Ryoko and Tenchi. Tenchi wasn't  
looking embarrassed, like most of the pictures -- it was   
more of Ryoko that looked embarrassed in this one. Tenchi   
had been smiling, and Ryoko could even see Aeka's head at   
the bottom of this picture.  
  
A small smile formed on Ryoko's lips. "Tenchi..."  
  
From the bundle of the other snapshots Ryoko was holding,   
a small headband fell out -- a hachimaki caked with dry   
blood. She felt a wave of nausea and dizziness as she   
stared at it.  
  
"This is..."  
  
Suddenly, the ship shook and tipped, the hachimaki   
spiraling against the wall and the snapshots in Ryoko's   
hands flying from the impact.   
  
"What the hell?!"  
  
"Attention, Ryoko!" called a voice on the screen that   
came up in the room. "You are under arrest! Should you   
make a move, we can easily open the gates to hyperspace   
-- which is just as bad as subspace -- to trap you should   
you try to attack."  
  
The Galaxy Police had thousands of fleets surrounding her.  
  
***  
  
"Whaaaaat?"  
  
"Aren't we lucky?" Mari, Kiyone's superior, smiled at   
her quite complacently. "Even if we didn't get it out of   
that crackpot Washu, Ryoko was rather clumsy to leave   
that ship just floating there, eh? Managed to have a   
sneak attack! Unfortunately, it's right by a checkpoint  
to the Sol System. I just hope they don't plan to  
transfer Ryoko to that checkpoint for the 'confessional'  
parts and to lock her up, even temporarily. Those  
people at the checkpoint are more likely to be in  
danger with her there!"  
  
Mari looked at Kiyone conspicuously. "What's the matter?   
You look depressed."  
  
Kiyone tried to look surprised. "Wh-what? I'm glad! We   
might actually capture Ryoko! Don't we have a live report   
set up to see this happen?" she asked.  
  
"Actually, I think we might--"  
  
"Officer Mari!" called the receptionist at the desk. "The   
Chief requires your presence. He's in a meeting, room B4."  
  
Mari frowned, then winked at Kiyone. "Better go," she said.   
"I will ask him about the live report afterwards, though."   
And she sauntered away, leaving Kiyone.  
  
Kiyone stood for a few moments, her mind a blur of   
watercolors. Then, she shook her head, and walked to   
the receptionist. "I'm retiring back to the ship," she   
said. "Please tell Officer Mari to meet me there."  
  
She headed back onto her patrol ship, through the deck.   
With a sigh, she settled down on the seat, and stared up   
at the ceiling, her hands holding her head up.  
  
"A sneak attack... how did that happen? Ryoko is one of   
the most dangerous criminals. Yet they managed a sneak   
attack. And they fired at her ship, and... I hope she's   
all right."  
  
The moment the words flew out of her mouth, Kiyone   
smacked herself. "I'm her enemy. Why do I care about her   
health?" she murmured to herself coldly.  
  
But in spite of herself, she felt oddly nervous. "If they   
catch her, will they really put her in the hyperspace cell?   
Because Washu-san was right, you can't keep a human life in   
that cell."  
  
"Talking to yourself?"  
  
Kiyone whirled around, facing Mari. "Mari! You're back."  
  
"The Chief just wanted my report. Trying to boast to the   
others... what were you mumbling about?" Mari asked,   
smiling. "Ryoko, no doubt."  
  
"I was--"  
  
"Hyperspace cells are the new hope for the future! They're   
crucial to keep A-1 Class Criminals like Ryoko in."  
  
"Yes, but..."  
  
Mari studied her partner intently. "When we were first  
assigned, Chief told me everything about your past life  
on Earth. How you lived with that Earthling boy -- even  
though Earthlings are not supposed to have direct contact.  
But I suppose that was all right, since he was of Jurai  
descent. And you lived with other refugees, which  
included Ryoko."  
  
Kiyone stiffened. "That means nothing--"  
  
Suddenly, she cringed. 'Defense. Too defensive means that  
I'm in denial,' she thought.  
  
Mari stopped her. "Feelings last for a while. ;But not   
forever, Kiyone. You're clinging to your past! What good   
will that do to you? You're hoping for some miracle? Fine,   
then take action! But you know there's nothing you can do."  
  
Feelings last for a while?  
  
But Mihoshi said...  
  
"Besides, wasn't it for the best when you captured Ryoko?"  
  
"I didn't--"  
  
"Listen, Ryoko doesn't have some hearing device implanted   
on you. So don't be in denial, Kiyone." Mari winked.   
"Well, the Chief said Ryoko should be--"  
  
"Officer Mari!" A fuzzy reception came over their  
communication port, and both Kiyone and Mari looked at  
the fuzzy screen, seeing a fellow officer.  
  
"Shoji-sempai! What's the matter?" Mari asked.  
  
"Ryoko's gotten loose by the checkpoint. We'll need  
back-up. Send the fleets."  
  
"All right!" Mari said, pumping her fist. "Look, our  
big chance, Kiyone! And yours, too! You can prove to  
Ryoko that there are absolutely no hard feelings --  
you're just playing on the law's side now." She gave  
a doting laugh. "Now, come on. Let's get moving  
and call back-up, join the scene of crime, then just  
wait for our promotion."  
  
***  
  
Tenchi felt his fingers shake underneath the weight of   
the food he carried in the large basket. "I'm home!" he said,   
struggling to open the door.  
  
No one greeted him, and he walked into the living room,  
where everyone was sitting solemnly.  
  
"Uh... family meeting?"  
  
Tenchi dropped the food, and he rushed over to Aeka's   
side. In her hands, she had a small, narrow box, and light   
emitted from the center hole.  
  
"This is...?"  
  
"Found in the laundry basket. Addressed to Aeka,"   
Katsuhito said quietly. "It's from Jurai."  
  
The word sounded so foreign, so...  
  
Distant.  
  
"Jurai? But..."  
  
Aeka was silent, and the life in her eyes seemed to have   
been swept away. She clicked a small button on the side.  
  
Tenchi saw a familiar looking man pop up in holographic  
mini form. He was the head of the Jurai Council, the  
one who took orders from the ruler and enforced them  
along with the rest of the Council. Tenchi had met him  
before, when he had come to take Aeka away.  
  
He felt sick, remembering that day, and omitted from his  
mind, watching the man speak.  
  
"Addressed to: Former Princess Aeka."  
  
At this, everyone reeled back in shock.  
  
"'Former'?" Tenchi gasped.  
  
Mihoshi even gained some of her voice back. "But..."  
  
"You have been stripped of your title, by request of the first  
princess of Jurai, Princess Sasami."  
  
Aeka found her hands quivering. "Sasami?"  
  
Tenchi's hands firmly supported Aeka on her shoulders.   
"It can't be. Sasami-chan would never..."  
  
"This isn't the same Sasami-chan we know," Katsuhito's   
firm voice suddenly broke in. "Three years can do a lot to   
some people. Look at ourselves."  
  
His commentary made the group silence, but the hologram  
went on.  
  
"Your presence is required on Jurai. Should you not come   
to Jurai, there will be severe consequences."  
  
The hologram ended there bluntly. Aeka's fingers shook.  
  
"What does this mean? What does it all mean?" Tenchi   
asked vehemently.  
  
"We must go to Jurai," Katsuhito said. "If Aeka's   
presence is required, it must be something important.  
We may be able to find out what is going on."  
  
"I don't have a ship," Aeka whispered.  
  
The others sat in discomforted silence, aware of the fact.  
  
Then Mihoshi stood up. "There is one."  
  
The others looked at her with surprise.  
  
"Wasn't your ship reclaimed by the Galaxy Police?"  
  
"Not Kiyone's. They took mine, but Kiyone left hers...  
it's still in that separate dimension above the  
entrance to your home that Washu-san put it in. She  
left with the GP fleets, remember?"  
  
Tenchi's eyes widened. "That's right."  
  
"So it's settled. We'll all go to Jurai."  
  
Aeka stood up. "No!" she said adamantly. "Tenchi-sama,  
you must stay here. And Mihoshi-san, and --"  
  
Katsuhito looked at her gravely. "It is a matter of utmost  
importance. Does not family count?"  
  
"My family..."  
  
"Are we not your family?" Tenchi asked quietly.  
  
Aeka was silent, then she had a small smile. "You are."  
  
"Then it's settled. We will leave tomorrow morning."  
  
TSUZUKU  
  
***  
  
PREVIEW OF PART 3: The Screaming Darkness  
  
Kiyone (VO): A new dawn is approaching the Tenchi family.  
  
[Tenchi controls a ship, with Aeka, Mihoshi, and Katsuhito  
looking grave in the back.]  
  
Kiyone (VO): As Tenchi and the gang are traveling to Jurai   
for information about the mysterious invitation, they are   
stopped at a Galaxy Police-monitored checkpoint.  
  
[Kiyone and Mari talk.]  
  
Kiyone (VO): Tenchi discovers Ryoko's existence is in   
fragile and careless hands, and he wants to help her, but   
what about Aeka? Who will Tenchi help?  
  
Kiyone (VO): Coming up next time in Part 3.  
  
***  
  
AUTHOR'S NOTES  
  
Midori came up with that episode teaser part. ;) Quite   
creative.  
  
Revised with OVA part, now with text alignment, made  
and revised by listening to "Only Truth" from Romio no  
Aoi Sora a thousand times. Orikasa Ai has a truly  
gorgeous voice. XD  
  
ALSO: Updated with Mike's help. ;) Thank you!  
  
-- Emily K., Feb. 19, 2001  
  
***  
  
UPDATES  
  
-- Revised by Mike.  
-- Revised text alignment.  
-- Revised in OVA format.  
-- Revised / continued.  
-- Revised / continued.  
-- Revised.  
  



	3. The Screaming Darkness

SHATTERED MIRROR  
Part 3: The Screaming Darkness  
by Emily "Mink" Koh  
  
***  
  
DISCLAIMER: "Tenchi Muyo! Ryo-ohki" is © 1992, Pioneer and AIC.  
"Shattered Mirror" is © 2000, Emily Koh. Don't repost without  
my permission. Simple enough.  
  
See author notes at end.  
  
***  
  
"Will that teach you not to mess with me?"  
  
With a satisfied sigh, Washu carefully stepped over the three  
fallen bodies in the room she had been held in. She looked back  
disdainfully at the electric chair behind her. "Such primitive  
ways to punish. Well, thank God I've discovered how to convert  
the energy of those to --"  
  
Her sentence cut short as she spotted a nearby computer with  
open access to the recent case of crimes committed. With a  
gleeful smirk, Washu rubbed her hands together and did something  
like a skip over to it, her hands flying across the keyboard.  
  
"Interesting. Recent case of crimes... I wonder if Ryoko-chan  
is involved?" She looked up and pondered.  
  
Evidently. Kiyone-dono seemed very upset, so something must have   
happened recently, she thought to herself.  
  
Ryoko-chan. "That girl is just *so* impulsive -- I don't know what  
I'll do with her."  
  
She paused to giggle. "Just like her mom."  
  
A straight list of recent crimes flew down the screen, and  
Washu opted for the brief summaries that included a hint of  
the involvement of a Class A-1 criminal. Silently, she  
opened up a few of them.  
  
"Wanted for murder, obliteration, robbery, et cetera, et  
cetera. Common things she's done. So what's the big fuss  
about now?" Washu murmured. "Spending all that time being  
trapped in that artificial black hole was maddening... I  
guess it did lower my social status and my knowledge of the  
current events, eh?" she said mockingly to herself.  
  
She frowned. "Very interesting. All taking place near  
Jurai, somewhat. A few on Jurai."  
  
She clicked out, then saw a new report suddenly file in.  
  
"Must've just filed this. Lemme check it out... probably no  
biggee, like the rest... maybe they arrested her because  
she's been doing them one after another?"  
  
She opened the case, and her hand froze midair from the  
keyboard.  
  
"What the..."  
  
Her eyes scanned the computer screen again for confirmation.  
  
PENETRATOR: Ryoko  
CLASSIFICATION: A-1  
Space Pirate/demon?  
CRIME: Murder  
VICTIM: Princess Sasami  
First Order  
Princess of Jurai  
  
---  
  
"I can't do it."  
  
"Try again."  
  
Abashed, Tenchi nodded. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean --"  
  
"Silence, Tenchi. Concentrate."  
  
Sighing, Tenchi stretched out his arm, palm facing out, and  
breathed in heavily. Slowly, light embraced him and the  
familiar mark on his forehead appeared and began to glow.  
  
The gang was outside by the entrance of the Masaki home,  
staring at Tenchi with worry.  
  
Using his Jurai power, Tenchi was attempting to force  
Kiyone's ship out of the void. Mihoshi had opted to use  
her cube to pull out the ship, but since the ship wasn't  
hers, the cube had no affect.  
  
"It's working!" Aeka said, overjoyed.  
  
"Is it?" Mihoshi said, her voice sounding far away again.  
  
"Think, Tenchi," Katsuhito said calmly. "Concentrate your  
thoughts about the ship. Clear your mind of everything else."  
  
Tenchi breathed in again.  
  
The ship, he thought. Kiyone-san's ship. She took good  
care of it, never crashed it like Mihoshi-san did. She was  
always unwilling to use her ship to go on outings, for fear  
that if Mihoshi was piloting, she'd crash it.  
  
Tenchi felt a smile tug at the corners of his mouth, but then  
suppressed it. He *had* to do this right. For Aeka-san.  
  
Kiyone-san, when we first met her... oh, she was someone we  
needed to bring sanity into our lives. She dropped by one  
day -- I think reluctantly? -- to bring back Mihoshi-san to   
HQ. But... I guess Mihoshi-san realized her heart was here.  
  
Mihoshi turned at Tenchi's intensity, curious -- as if she could  
read his thoughts.  
  
Isn't it funny? Tenchi thought. How ironic that they just  
received a call saying that the two were transferred to Earth.  
I think Kiyone-san was upset. It all took us a while to get  
used to her. I think she felt a little jealous over how well  
our bonds were that tight. She came about two years and a  
half ago, so we were already too close by then.  
  
"Tenchi!" Katsuhito said, alarmed. "You're losing it. Are  
you thinking about the ship?"  
  
Right, right. The ship. But... was she jealous? Is that  
why she did that to Ryoko? A beat. No. No. Kiyone-san  
would *never* do anything like that. She may be obsessed with  
promotions and things, but she'd never betray us. She did  
develop her relations with us after those years, didn't she?  
  
Of course... that's a different thing to say about Ryoko...  
  
At this, the power swept out of his body, and Tenchi fell to  
the ground unexpectedly.  
  
"Tenchi-sama!" Aeka ran to his side, helping him up.  
  
Katsuhito clicked his tongue. "You weren't concentrating!"  
  
"I'm sorry... I'll try again..."  
  
Aeka's voice softened with sympathy when she saw Tenchi's brow  
etched with frustration. "Oniisama," she said softly, "it's  
not his fault. He's... just thinking about something like  
that is bad enough to stir up memories. So don't push it on  
him."  
  
"Then... how will you get to Jurai? I have to try harder!"  
  
With a look of admiration, Aeka smiled at Tenchi. "I'm so  
jealous of you, you know that? I used to be jealous of  
Ryoko-san, too. You two were always so determined!"  
  
"But you are too, what are you saying?"  
  
"I suppose I am... in a way, but not like yours. I'll give  
up along the way and come back another day, but you'll keep  
trying to perfect it. Oh, Otou-sama would really like you!"  
  
"I don't think he likes me after the whole incident with...  
well, your to-be fiancé," Tenchi chuckled.  
  
The two laughed, and it felt good to hear the melodic rings.  
  
"I hate to burst this party," Katsuhito said gravely, "but my  
curiosity is beginning to kill me. I know it sounds hardly  
like myself, but Aeka, that hologram message sounded utterly  
important. It's too bad that we don't have a connection to  
the news of the universe to keep us tabbed in with what's going  
on. It'd make life much more simpler."  
  
Tenchi nodded. "So. I'll keep trying to get Kiyone-san's ship  
out from the void that Washu-san kept it in... um, or --"  
  
Mihoshi interrupted them all, cradling a corpselike body in  
her arms, which simply mewed to prove that it was still alive.  
  
"Or we could take Ryo-chan," she whispered.  
  
---  
  
"She's escaped!"  
  
"Where is she? Did she pass here?"  
  
"We're only back-up. Commander Kanna told us not to come in --"  
  
"Commander Kanna is wrong. We'll need all the help we'll need.  
This is Ryoko we're talking about, not a punk hacker!"  
  
"Y-Yes, Mari-san!"  
  
"Get in there!"  
  
Kiyone and Mari sighed as the back-up team entered the halls to  
the ship transfer area of the checkpoint.  
  
"What a convenient place to get captured," Kiyone said, disgusted.  
"Couldn't they have transferred her directly to GP Headquarters?"  
  
"No," Mari said. "We can't confine Ryoko in her own *ship* for  
that long. I'm assuming they used the harsh method of towing  
her..."  
  
"How did they capture her that easily?"  
  
"From what I heard, they were threatening her with the hyperspace  
gates."  
  
"Hyperspace? I thought we were using subspace."  
  
"Subspace for her prison cell. Hyperspace is our threat."  
  
Kiyone gritted her teeth. "This isn't right," she said. "I  
can't believe they dragged Ryoko here! Even though GP  
monitors this checkpoint, we're doing it near innocent people!  
This is... this is..."  
  
"This is our basic checkpoint, for those checking into the Sol  
System area or checking out. There's not *that* many people  
who enjoy the Sol System area, Kiyone," Mari pointed out.  
  
"Yeah... well... it's not say that there's *no one*!"  
  
"Come on," Mari said, ignoring Kiyone's warnings. "We need to  
get to Ryoko! If she escapes... besides, this might be our  
chance for a promotion!"  
  
"Ri-right."  
  
---  
  
Elsewhere, someone else had a lot on their mind.  
  
"... How did Ryoko do this? If I could just remember..."  
  
Tenchi put his hands on the two small orbs that circled the large  
one in the middle inside the ship Ryo-ohki. Behind him, Aeka,  
Mihoshi, and Katsuhito looked on gravely.  
  
"I'm guessing a part of controlling Ryo-ohki took concentration.  
I'm assuming, that is," Katsuhito hinted. "And maybe even a  
telepathic connection."  
  
With a wry grin, Tenchi looked back momentarily. "All this  
thinking will ruin my head!" he joked. Silently, he closed his  
eyes for a brief period, and sensed a wave of power sweep into  
his veins.  
  
Ryo-ohki, he thought. Can you hear me?  
  
Miya! came the reply. And suddenly, Tenchi could understand  
this creature. The controls enabled this.  
  
We have to get to Jurai. At a rather fast speed, I hope you  
don't mind. This is very important. But... I know because  
of your injuries...  
  
My injuries are the least of my worries, came the translated  
reply. Destination: Jurai, isn't it? Let's go.  
  
The ship suddenly came to life, and the entire ship zoomed on.  
  
"Amazing," Katsuhito said. "How did you do it?"  
  
"Communication," Tenchi said. "Heh."  
  
"Truly amazing," Aeka agreed. "I didn't think we'd be able to  
get Ryo-ohki to work correctly..."  
  
While the trio talked briefly, Mihoshi pressed her nose against  
the glass off to the side, looking at space. How refreshing it  
was to see it all! Three years... three years...  
  
She sighed. It was like breathing in fresh air, regaining her  
senses. It wasn't so much that she missed it, but it felt like  
a missing piece in her life had been found once she was up here.  
  
She tried to remember what had happened on Earth a few moments  
ago.  
  
She had found the battered and near-dead Ryo-ohki on the ground,  
too weak to even make a call. It was sad that no one could  
interpret what Ryo-ohki was saying, because she had been  
trying so hard to make them understand. Tenchi had gotten this  
hopeful look on his face that Mihoshi deciphered as "Ryoko,"  
but hadn't wanted to mention it. Then when Ryo-ohki heard the  
gang were in a state of despair and worry, she had offered to  
take them to their destination, despite her injuries.  
  
And here they were.   
  
Who knew, maybe they would run into --  
  
Don't think about her. Don't get your hopes high.  
  
Mihoshi felt sick. False hopes. Not good for the soul.  
  
Suddenly, Katsuhito broke her thoughts.  
  
"I'm afraid that we'll need to clarify a few things," he said.  
"To the officials." His eyes narrowed and the gang stared at  
where he was looking -- a small station ahead.  
  
"What is that thing?" Tenchi murmured.  
  
"A checkpoint," Mihoshi and Aeka said simultaneously.  
  
"This one is the one for those who want to enter or leave  
the Sol System," Mihoshi said calmly. "Monitored heavily by  
the Galaxy Police."  
  
"No one enters the Sol System *that* much," Aeka noted.  
"So why the heavy security? It's not like it's the most  
popular place."  
  
"Since this place is so unpopulated, there's criminals  
that smuggle things across. So a bit later after this was  
discovered, they set up a GP-monitored checkpoint," Mihoshi  
said in voice with clarity and such assurance that was so  
unlike her trademark airhead self.  
  
Tenchi was surprised at her behavior, but he didn't say  
anything. Mihoshi had said at least more than three words  
this time, and it was a relief to hear her voice again.  
  
"We'll be suspected, you know," Katsuhito said. "If we're  
on Ryoko's ship..."  
  
"But who knows? Maybe Ryoko hasn't --"  
  
Tenchi was going to say that perhaps Ryoko hadn't returned to  
her criminal ways, but something stopped him from saying it.  
If Ryo-ohki had come to his home, injured... then...  
  
"Disguises," Aeka suddenly said.  
  
"Disguises?" Tenchi repeated.  
  
"Disguises."  
  
---  
  
"Look, more victims."  
  
Ryoko's voice was bitter and full of sarcasm, as she scowled at  
the two police officers that had stepped in that had just  
discovered the mass of bodies filtered to the side.  
  
"Should I be honored to be in the presence of The Great One?"  
Mari asked in an equally sarcastic tone. She ignored Kiyone's  
reaction to the dead bodies, and simply glared at Ryoko.  
  
"Certainly," Ryoko said. "And how would you like to die?"  
She paused to snicker.  
  
As she advanced on them slowly, Kiyone and Mari stood back-to-  
back, as the cyan-haired demon circled them a few times, her  
golden eyes glittering with malice and curiosity.  
  
"My, my. If it isn't Kiyone," Ryoko hissed, coming closer.  
  
Kiyone and Mari's hands flew to their laser guns by their side,  
but in a flash of light, the two guns were flown by the pile  
of dead bodies, as Ryoko swung her laser beam back and forth  
which had newly materialized in her hands.  
  
"Ah ah ah," she warned them. "Don't want to get hurt before  
you even start fighting, eh?"  
  
"You disgust me," Mari said.  
  
Kiyone remained quiet, studying the familiar person in front  
of her. The last she had seen her in person was... oh, give  
or take, three Earth years ago. The shock of seeing her again  
was overwhelming and she couldn't bring herself to make idle  
threats like Mari was.  
  
"I could say the same to you," Ryoko responded. "But as for  
now..."  
  
She disappeared momentarily from their viewpoints.  
  
"Wh-?! Where did she go?!"  
  
A beam of light came crashing down on Mari's arm.  
  
---  
  
"Boy, am I relieved to be out of the headlights."  
  
A family -- a man with his four daughters -- stood inside the  
bustling checkpoint that was on the borderline of the Sol  
System to the other parts of the vast universe.  
  
However, the eye would deceive all if one looked *very*  
closely. A thorough inspection would have it that only two  
of the four daughters were actually girls. One of them was  
a male with a pigtailed wig, and the other one was a small  
furry girl with blue streaks in her hair, covering her  
appearance with a hood on a cloak.  
  
The checkpoint was crammed, and Aeka was rudely pushed by  
a family of four, and she scowled. "Who goes to the Sol  
System at this time for vacation?"  
  
"Interesting," Katsuhito murmured. "Mihoshi-dono, didn't  
you say it wasn't populated too much here?"  
  
"Must be something big going on," Tenchi answered for her.  
"Look at their faces. They're all anticipating something."  
  
"And they're mostly officers, too..."  
  
Ryo-ohki held onto Tenchi's hand tightly, like a girl  
holding onto her parent. "Miya," she said fearfully.  
  
"What is it, Ryo-chan?" Tenchi asked kindly. But he knew  
he couldn't understand her. "Man. I wish we didn't have  
to wear disguises. What was the point of me dressing up as  
a girl?"  
  
"So we look more like a family with no son," Katsuhito said  
crisply. "I don't know."  
  
"I suggested it," Aeka said, giggling mildly. "Tenchi-sama,  
you look pretty good in a girl's outfit."  
  
Tenchi sighed. "I'm flattered," he said. "Anyway, it was of  
sheer brilliance that the brief disguise Ryo-ohki-chan used  
worked. *HOW* that worked, I'm not even going to ask. I guess  
she picked up a few skill of her own."  
  
Conveniently, a GP officer passed the group leisurely.  
  
Katsuhito grabbed him by the arm gently. "Excuse me, sir. I  
am not pleased with the conditions at this checkpoint. We  
just arrived from visiting a friend of ours in Mars, and now  
we're facing traffic in such an unpopulated checkpoint? It's  
not a thing I would expect."  
  
"I'm sorry," the officer apologized. "But if you're heading  
back out into space, I would do so quickly. Find an open  
portal, but I'm sure most of them are either full or out of  
order because of too much input."  
  
"What's the rush?" Katsuhito asked.  
  
The officer sighed. "Are you sure you want me to say it in  
front of them?" he asked, gesturing towards the girls.  
  
Katsuhito nodded. "My girls are strong," he said.  
  
The officer sighed again. "Well... the truth is, Galaxy  
Police has managed to capture Ryoko."  
  
The group was stunned.  
  
"Ryoko?" Tenchi said in his normal voice, cracking.  
  
Aeka nudged him sharply. "Tenko-chan!" she said. "Isn't it  
scary? A real criminal! Right by us!" She wailed.  
  
Tenchi mentally hit himself. Idiot! he thought. You're  
a girl. Aeka-san's such a good actress. He feigned much  
more shock than he really had and said in a voice that was  
many octaves higher, "Ryoko? You don't mean... the space  
pirate?"  
  
"She was wanted many years ago... wasn't she?"   
  
The officer looked at Aeka strangely. "Years? You mean by..."  
  
"Earth years," Aeka said. Then she caught her mistake.  
  
"Ah, well..." Katsuhito said. "We vacationed on Earth, too.  
We pass for Earthlings so easily, that is. And we got so  
caught up in the mathematical processes there." He shot Aeka  
a look.  
  
"Exactly!" she chimed in.  
  
"Well... Earth years." The officer did a mental calculation.  
"Three years seems pretty good, give or take. Anyway, she's  
pretty much hot material right now."  
  
"Why is that?"  
  
The officer looked at them suspiciously. "Boy, you have been  
on vacation long! She's wanted for serious murder."  
  
"Murder?"  
  
"For Princess Sasami, of course."  
  
At this point, Aeka's knees gave way and she had fallen. In  
a quick movement, Tenchi scooped her back up. "Aeka-sa -- I  
mean, Aeka-oneechan!" he corrected his tone and addressing.  
  
Numbly, she stood up. Katsuhito quickly said, "Ah, well...  
we are Juraians. It's very shocking... to hear news." He  
was a good actor, too, but the shock was ample and visible.  
  
The officer shrugged. "Well, you'd better get out of here  
fast. She's right by this checkpoint. We plan to wheedle her  
into the hyperspace gate and keep her there temporarily. I  
think we're transporting her into a subspace cell, too."  
  
"Hyperspace?" Tenchi's head swum.  
  
"Yeah. Well, it slowly dwindles your energy charges there.  
You can easily get killed. But we're all guessing that  
since Ryoko is a killing machine, she can easily survive  
there. She has killer instincts and tactics. And I assume  
she's going to deteriorate over time in the subspace cell.  
Can't keep life in a subspace cell for too long."  
  
Suddenly, another officer came over. "Sempai!" he called.  
"That mad scientist escaped. Help me catch her!"  
  
The officer sighed. "Excuse me." Then he left.  
  
"You heard what the officer said," Aeka said briskly, her  
legs still wobbly. "Oniisama. Can you prepare Ryo-chan  
to transform at a portal?"  
  
"I could," Katsuhito said thickly, regaining his senses.  
  
Tenchi nodded. "Let's go, then."  
  
But he felt a tug on his arm, and he was dreading her  
voice and the confrontation. Mihoshi looked at him with  
her innocent blue eyes. "Yes?" he said weakly.  
  
"Didn't you hear what the officer said?" Mihoshi said, her  
voice rising slowly with each word. "Didn't you hear?"  
  
"Mihoshi-san!" Aeka said, her voice rising with panic. "We  
have to leave *now* or else the portals will close!"  
  
"Didn't you hear?" Mihoshi said, getting louder by the  
minute. "Tenchi-san!" she protested.  
  
"Mihoshi-san!" Aeka shrilled.  
  
"Aren't you going to save Ryoko-san?" Mihoshi asked sadly.  
  
---  
  
Washu scowled. "Damn."  
  
The two officers surrounded nearby. "Shouldn't mess with  
computers. Don't want you to hurt your pretty little head  
now, right?"  
  
Ticked off, Washu growled, "Don't come any closer."  
  
She was pressed against the wall in the room she had been,  
and the officers had come in and discovered her going  
through their files. The other bodies were still unconscious.  
Washu wasn't going to fight for nothing, and she was a  
good fighter.  
  
One of the officers said, "It's no use. You can't fight  
us. What reason do you have?"  
  
"My daughter's life, that's my reason."  
  
"Oh?" the other said, eyes twinkling. "I'll let you know  
that Officer Mari and Kiyone just successfully got her  
into the hyperspace unit."  
  
"Wh-what?! What are you planning to do?"  
  
"Simple. Keep her in there until her energy drains for a  
while, then at that point, teleport her into subspace."  
  
"Subspace! That quick of an energy and dimension change  
can easily --"  
  
The word was on the tip of her tongue.  
  
"Can easily kill, right?" the officer said, laughing.  
  
---  
  
The black gate sealed.  
  
Kiyone felt utter shock, dropping the gate device, as she  
slumped next to a fallen Mari, her arm bleeding profusely.  
She was suddenly aware of her partner's condition.  
  
"Mari! Hang in there! I'm getting you back to the hospital  
unit, all right? Hang in there!" Kiyone yelled.  
  
She scooped up her partner, abandoning the device, and did  
not -- correction, *could not* -- bear to watch the final  
sealing of the gate to hyperspace. Mari's blood dripped  
onto Kiyone's sleeves, and she felt as if she was the one  
with pain ripping through.  
  
Ryoko had almost ripped off Mari's arm clean. And then  
Kiyone couldn't stand it. It didn't matter how much guilt  
she had from back then. Revenge or no revenge.   
  
So, Kiyone had taken the gate device out from Mari's  
unconscious body. Opened the gate behind Ryoko without her  
knowing until much too late.  
  
Her ears still echoed with Ryoko's screams.  
  
Were they painful screams or vengeful screams?  
  
She didn't care, couldn't care. She rushed into the main  
checkpoint, and eyes were drawn to her, gasps popping. A  
crowd of officers came. "She's injured!" Kiyone whispered  
breathlessly. "God, help her!"  
  
They took Mari's body carefully and quickly, leaving Kiyone  
looking stranded at the checkpoint.  
  
Only then, did she notice some people.  
  
Some very familiar people.  
  
---  
  
Mihoshi felt herself crack.   
  
That *was* her. And they were exchanging glances.  
  
Kiyone? Was it Kiyone?  
  
But now wasn't the time.  
  
Mihoshi... Mihoshi knew that she wasn't able to save herself  
from drowning in sorrow. At least, not now. Not when right  
now was a perfect opportunity to save another's life. It  
wasn't time to make up with someone who had abandoned her.  
  
No. Not now.  
  
Because someone important in her life -- another person --  
was going to disappear forever if she didn't act now.  
  
So she tugged on Tenchi's arm once again.  
  
"Please? Won't you save Ryoko-san?"  
  
---  
  
The checkpoint was a mess.  
  
People were screaming and leaving, ships were blazing out.  
  
But time was infinitely frozen for Aeka.  
  
This was too much. Too much.  
  
She hated Mihoshi. How *dare* she bring up the subject of  
Ryoko? How dare she suggest that Tenchi abandon Aeka on  
this important journey? How dare --  
  
She stopped herself.  
  
Ryoko-san.  
  
Oh, my god.  
  
What was she saying?  
  
And then, she did the hardest thing.  
  
She smiled at Tenchi. "Tenchi-sama. You must go. You  
*must* save Ryoko-san. My trip... well, I will meet you  
in Jurai. I swear. You and Ryoko-san -- we'll all meet  
up in Jurai." She smiled tearfully. "You *must* go."  
  
---  
  
Tenchi's hands shook.  
  
God, oh GOD. Why was life so unfair?  
  
He wanted to save Ryoko.  
  
He wanted to help Aeka.  
  
And here, he had to choose.  
  
He *had* to choose. He couldn't let it off like before,  
when the two had always asked him to pick.  
  
This was a life-or-death matter.  
  
If he helped Aeka, Ryoko would lose her life.  
  
If he helped Ryoko, Aeka would be in danger no Jurai very  
possibly, without his aid.  
  
And... he couldn't...  
  
Mihoshi-san. Dammit. Why did she have to --  
  
And Aeka-san? She was agreeing?  
  
Tenchi... god, he wanted to see Ryoko. So badly. And  
he wanted to smile at her, laugh with her, hug her and  
tell her never to leave Earth again. It was a swell of  
fear and loss. She was so good to him and others.  
  
And Aeka? He couldn't abandon her. He wanted to smile  
and laugh with her, too. What would happen to her? It  
wasn't... it wasn't...  
  
But Aeka was a stubborn person, Tenchi knew from the past.  
And when her mind was set, she was set.  
  
"'Jii-chan!" he instructed. "Please go with Aeka-san.  
You too, Mihoshi-san."  
  
"No," Aeka said suddenly. "Tenchi-sama. You need all  
assistance you can get. I agree to bring Oniisama and  
Ryo-chan with me, but you'll need Mihoshi-san." Her eyes  
fell on the familiar officer ahead. "I guarantee it."  
  
Then she smiled tearfully yet again. "We'll meet in  
Jurai, won't we?" she whispered.  
  
"I *swear*," Tenchi vowed. "Wait for me there."  
  
Aeka nodded, and turned to Ryo-ohki. "Ryo-ohki-chan!  
We have to get out of here as soon as possible. We'll  
ram through a crowded gate and just hightail it out.  
I'm willing to bet the portals will be closed for a  
very long time."  
  
Then she and her two companions left in a rush.  
  
Tenchi looked at Mihoshi-san. "Come on, Mihoshi-san.  
I'm guessing Ryoko is... on that ship portal that...  
your friend came out of," he said thickly. Kiyone.  
Kiyone.  
  
Damn.  
  
And now, he put her out of mind.  
  
Ryoko. Just wait for me. Hold on a little longer.  
  
  
Tsuzuku (To be continued)...  
  
---  
  
AUTHOR's NOTES  
  
SM was delayed, but it's back. _ Wow. After many  
rewrites for the first part, I went back to the original.  
Got so much crammed into Part 3 that I'm wondering if it  
was too fast-paced or what.  
  
C&C -- please send to mink249@aol.com, please. I love  
to read comments and such.  
  
What will happen next? More mysteries pop up, as well  
as new ones being solved. Being procrastinator chief  
here, don't expect part 4 to be coming up anytime soon.  
But then again, maybe it will.  
  
-- Mink, February 17, 2001 


	4. Hostile Reunions

SHATTERED MIRROR  
Part 4: Hostile Reunions  
by Emily "Mink" Koh  
  
***  
  
DISCLAIMER: "Tenchi Muyo! Ryo-ohki" is (c) 1992, AIC and Pioneer. I don't own it. "Shattered Mirror" is (c) 2000-2001, Emily Koh. Don't repost elsewhere without my consent.   
  
***  
  
She knew the ship well--it was designed like all Galaxy Police patrol ships were. A physical analysis of the outside would have made the ship seem small, but it was actually quite spacious inside. It was like a second home to Mihoshi, really. When she was little, she had seen quite enough of these ships due to her grandfather's position in the league.  
  
Mihoshi bit her lip, continuing on ahead. She hoped Tenchi was faster than she was; she hoped he had found the subspace opening by now. No human could survive in subspace, Mihoshi was sure of it, but perhaps Ryoko could hang on for a bit longer.  
  
She had purposely sent Tenchi on the path where Ryoko is.  
  
Oh, there were so many reasons, really. For one, she knew where the subspace opening was; despite her usual airhead self that she let on, she knew about the GP patrol ships. She had offered to take the path leading to the main control room -- she knew it was much too small to have any dimensional opening.   
  
Besides, Ryoko deserved to have Tenchi rescue her. Mihoshi knew how much Ryoko loved him. And in these years, she hadn't seem him . . . she didn't want to ruin it by going and messing the methods up by her trying to save Ryoko.  
  
Mihoshi remembered the patrol ship she had shared with Kiyone. She would lounge around, take a nap, and play little games while Kiyone had yelled at her and done all the work. She stifled a soft chuckle, then grew sorrowful again.   
  
That _had_ been Kiyone at the checkpoint, hadn't it?  
  
Of all places and of all people . . .  
  
Her fingers lingered over control panels and the chair. She mentally counted in her head. Any minute now. She could see Kiyone frantically running through the checkpoint in her mind, trying to find the right patrol ship, and then she would, and then --  
  
Behind her, she heard a laser gun cock.  
  
Kiyone stood, looking quite defiant. "You're under arrest for attempting to assist space pirate Ryoko in an escape, as well as infiltrating a GP patrol ship," she said thinly.  
  
Mihoshi stared at her. "Kiyone . . . ?" Her voice was wistful, not shocked. Her eye arched when she heard another laser gun cock behind Kiyone, and both girls turned to face the other assailant.  
  
"I think that's enough," Washu said sharply.  
  
---  
  
Tenchi panted heavily, glancing around the large patrol ship interior. He tried to remember what the officer said. Something about a subspace cell. Where was Washu-san when he needed her?   
  
The name jolted him back to the past, and Tenchi grit his teeth. // Not now! // he thought frantically. // I have to save Ryoko! //  
  
He glanced around quickly, then noticed a small device nearby. Tenchi normally was not one to take risks [hell, he didn't know if this was a bomb that'd destroy this ship or if it was just a radio or something] but decided to take chances. He was vaguely aware that Ryoko's own life was in his hands now, as it had been before . . .  
  
The device whirred as he accidently clicked a button. "What . . . ?"   
  
In front of him, a small black hole formed. It was there -- but then again, it was not; reminding him. His brow knit together, Tenchi licked his upper lip nervously. Ryoko was in here? Hesitantly, his fingers reached for the edges, as if he could grasp them . . .  
  
Marvelously, he found solidity. Almost like a hole he could physically grasp the sides of, really.   
  
// Ryoko . . . just hold on. //  
  
However, instead of allowing himself to jump in, there was a force that was literally going to pull him in. It ate away at him; something that sucked away at his soul and his heart. It hurt him, and he would have let out a shriek if it wasn't for that small sense of dignity he had managed to maintain.  
  
Tenchi found himself falling, and his thoughts were racing. // This is where I die, // he thought frantically. // Without ever saying goodbye to anyone. Without ever having a family. Without ever telling _her_ . . . //  
  
And suddenly, he felt an incredible surge of power and warmth . . .  
  
---  
  
"Impressive technological upgrades," Katsuhito said conversationally, attempting to fill the awkward silence between him and his half-sister. "Don't you think so? Ryo-ohki's new location targets tell us we're not too far from Jurai." Then he gave a chuckle. "Or has it been like this for a while now, and I have been an old man wasting his years on Earth, not knowing a thing?"   
  
Aeka shook her head. "No, technology has been upgraded significantly," she replied in a rather absent-minded tone. "The speed to Jurai from Earth . . . it's more than half the time decreased than . . . when I was traveling."   
  
Her thoughts were on one person alone -- Tenchi.  
  
He picked her! her mind taunted her. He could've come with you to Jurai, but he wanted to save her!  
  
// No! // Aeka reeled. // That's not true! Ryoko-san's life was at stake! //  
  
But you . . . who knows? You might face execution at Jurai. Your own puzzle's not solved. You've been stripped of your title by your supposed loving sister. You're being welcomed to Jurai with no open arms. What about you? Don't you matter to him?  
  
// That's not true! He swore he would come straight after! //  
  
Ah, so you're settling for second-best?  
  
The word had wormed its way into her brain, and Aeka shook her head. "No," she whispered out loud.  
  
"Aeka?" Katsuhito inquired.  
  
"Oh? I . . . I'm sorry," Aeka said momentarily. "I . . . was thinking."  
  
Her statement silenced Katsuhito, and he respected her privacy.  
  
// I am NOT second-best, // Aeka reassured herself. // That was a life-death matter. //  
  
Or maybe he chose her. Maybe he's signifying a choice.  
  
// No. // Aeka became adamant, fighting with two parts of herself -- Jealous and Reasonable. God. She hated this.  
  
// Tenchi-sama has not seen that . . . that demon woman for over three years now. It's reason enough. I don't blame him. And . . . he hasn't been with her all this time. He makes up his decision now? I've been close to him! //  
  
The thought entered her head, and Aeka felt pangs of guilt. What was she saying? She was growing jealous! When Ryoko-san could possibly be very well dead, and --  
  
"Home, sweet, home," Katsuhito interrupted her thoughts in a rather dry voice.  
  
Ryo-ohki came to a slow pace as they neared Jurai.  
  
A lump formed in Aeka's throat. Technology had upgraded too fast for her tastes.  
  
---  
  
"Hime-sama. We've spotted Ryo-ohki."  
  
Sasami smiled tightly. "That will probably be Oneesama," she said clearly, in a voice that was not her own. "I've received news that they've captured Ryoko at a Sol System checkpoint." She smiled humorlessly. "And who else would Ryo-ohki deliver to Jurai?"  
  
The great bulky logs behind her stood in questionable silence. The missing honorifics for the people in Sasami's life -- "Ryoko-oneechan" and "Ryo-chan" -- made her seem so different. Where had her childhood gone?  
  
"Y-Yes, Hime-sama," Azaka agreed.  
  
"We'll send her to you shortly," Kamidake added.  
  
They disappeared, and Sasami walked over to a grand mirror, running her finger over the glass. An odd thing happened -- her reflection quivered, and the Sasami that had been there three years ago appeared, as it faced the real Sasami from inside the glass.  
  
Don't hurt them, the reflection whispered sorrowfully.  
  
"There is a lesson to be learned," the physical figure said firmly to the reflection. "There may be pain involved. For in order to repair a shattered mirror, you will get cuts if you are not careful enough."  
  
Be careful! the reflection wailed.  
  
"Cuts leave scars," the real Sasami said curtly. "And scars remain forever, being a marker of what happened before in the past. All of you chose to ignore your scars . . . I'm going to open them. Let them heal."  
  
. . . Don't hurt them, please, the reflection cried. Tenchi-niichan and Ryoko-oneechan are in pain already. Why can't I save him?  
  
"You helped him just momentarily, didn't you? You cannot guide him out. Only he can do that alone." With that, the reflection vanished as the princess left the mirror.  
  
---  
  
Tenchi felt a wave of nausea. He didn't feel as weak as he had before -- his Jurai power had swept through him, transforming him.  
  
But you only have five minutes to get out, a voice had warned him.  
  
How familiar it had seemed. Someone behind him, he could've sworn. But no one was there with him, except Ryoko, and he couldn't find her now.  
  
// I can't leave, // he thought frantically. // Not without Ryoko. //  
  
It was dark. There were no landscapes in this dimension -- it was just pitch darkness; an occasional gust that was painful, too -- like the one he had first felt. But he _had_ to ignore it. He _had_ to keep going.  
  
And then he stopped, because he saw the familiar cyan-haired girl ahead.  
  
She was just lying there, but awake. Donned in her notable battle outfit, she was staring listlessly up, seeming almost lifeless, murmuring to herself.  
  
"Ryoko!" he cried, but for some reason, he couldn't yell. He was so shocked at seeing her again, after all this time --  
  
He neared her, and she gave him a glance.  
  
He blinked. A glance? Was that all he was worth to her?  
  
"You've entered my dream now?" Ryoko said, and laughed bitterly. "Funny. Everyone from my past has been here. I've seen just about everyone -- hell, I could've sworn I really saw Sasami." That bitter laugh again. "And you! Imagine."  
  
It took a moment for Tenchi to figure out what was wrong. "Ryoko!" he said firmly. "It's no dream. You're acting delirious. Come on, I've got to get you out of here."  
  
Ryoko laughed cruelly this time. "Get out?" she repeated. "Forget it. You're an illusion, and illusions can't save people."  
  
"I'm not an illusion! Come on, we don't have enough time!"   
  
God. Of all times, Ryoko chose this time to be infatuated with herself. For one moment, Tenchi wished that she was obsessed about him as she had been three years ago, so that he could at least pull her out.  
  
"Time? Time . . . time fails to exist here," Ryoko said dryly. "Besides, Illusion, stop teasing me. Tenchi's not here, and you are going to disappear, just like everyone else did."  
  
Tenchi sighed, deciding that conversation was not going to do anything, and pulled her. She fell limply into his arms, and deciding that it was a better position to get her out, Tenchi didn't argue, and began to search back for the exit.  
  
She acted drunk. "And this is an illusion -- I'm so sick and dizzy, I really think someone is carrying me." She snickered.  
  
"God, Ryoko . . . please, listen to me. It's me. Tenchi."  
  
"No, you're not." Ryoko gave a long sigh.  
  
Tenchi spotted the opening up ahead. He'd make it out on time.  
  
"If you were really Tenchi, you wouldn't have come," the space pirate said simply, lounging in his arms. "So, Illusion, don't bug me."  
  
He stopped short of the exit, forgetting all about time limits. "What?" he said to her.  
  
"I said, don't bug me," Ryoko said.  
  
"No, before that. The bit about if I was really Tenchi -- which I am," Tenchi said, flustered.  
  
"Oh, that." Ryoko paused, contemplating, then gave an odd, lopsided grin. "Tenchi," she began slowly, "is indecisive." She failed to notice her "Illusion" flinch. "But let's say he did pick me. Y'know, over Aeka." She brushed her own bangs back. "But, let's see. Kiyone reports me to the Galaxy Police --"  
  
"She did not," Tenchi retorted. "It was a mistake! You know she had nothing to do with it, Kiyone-san would never . . ."  
  
Ryoko did not hear him. "-- and I'm forced to leave for space, 'cause Earth can no longer be my 'refuge.'" There was a sharp tone of sarcasm in her voice. "Tenchi doesn't care for me at all." Her voice became soft and esoteric. "If he did, he would've chased me, wouldn't he? Shipless or not . . . if I was really family. But he let me go."  
  
Tenchi nearly dropped her. "What?" he whispered.  
  
"It's true." That cruel laugh escaped from Ryoko's lips again. "What a fool I was. God. I should've known. He stays with Aeka . . . and lets me go. How long have I played the idiot, lounging around the house?"  
  
"Th-That's not true," Tenchi said, but his voice didn't make it out. "Ryoko, that's not true." He bit his lip, and his head screamed at him.  
  
Idiot! She's telling the truth! Why didn't you chase after her?  
  
"Ryoko," he said evenly, "you confuse me." His tone was soft, not accusing. "I've never picked. I don't know whom to. Because . . . I love both of you. But who do I love more? Both you and Aeka-san confuse me, because --"  
  
He was suddenly aware of her limpness in his arms, and he felt a chill run down his spine.  
  
He had to get out NOW.  
  
---  
  
Mihoshi screamed as Tenchi fell out of the hole, with Ryoko in his arms, collapsing on the floor of the patrol ship. "Tenchi-san!"  
  
Washu realized the urgency of the situation. This wasn't the time for sappy reunions. "Mihoshi-dono," she said sharply, "take Tenchi-dono. He's been in the cell too long with Ryoko . . . we'll need to make a detour to my ship before going to your destination; these two need to be healed." She scooped up her own daughter effortlessly in her arms.  
  
"H-Hai!" Mihoshi nodded, and slung Tenchi's arm around her shoulder. He stirred, half-conscious. "T-Tenchi-san!" she said frantically. "Hold on . . ."  
  
Attention, all Galaxy Police patrol ships. Do not leave the checkpoint; Criminal Identification A17 has escaped. I repeat, do not leave the checkpoint. Should you leave, there will --  
  
"Dammit . . . Kiyone-dono!" Washu said, gritting her teeth. "Mihoshi-dono, go to the control room -- it seems like Kiyone-dono has managed to notify the police at this checkpoint, and it's not before long that Headquarters finds out." She made her way rapidly to the control room.  
  
Kiyone was tied to one of the seats near the front of the control panels, but had managed to wriggle the rope loose, and had set an audio warning. "I am tied and held; this is ship B60, First Class Detective Kiyone Mabiki --"  
  
Washu turned off the audio intercom, glaring at Kiyone. "Mihoshi-dono is too sympathetic," she said sharply. "I told her to put on the gag." She put her limp daughter in the chair nearby as she tightened Kiyone's ropes and fixed the abandoned gag. "Forgive me, Kiyone-dono," Washu said, after a long sigh, and Kiyone noted the genuine apology in her eyes. "But . . . right now, we don't have the time. I'll release you later."  
  
"W-Washu-san!" Mihoshi came in quickly, with Tenchi. "Quick . . . we're being attacked!"  
  
"Even though we're still in port? You'd think that the GP would have _some_ sense of safety," Washu muttered, and was not aware of the irony that she herself could care less for safety whenever she performed her own experiments. "Now then. To my ship."  
  
As Washu commanded the patrol ship to leave port [a rather messy exit, Mihoshi noted, but decided that now wasn't the time], she set Tenchi by the wall comfortbly. "Hold on, Tenchi-san . . . and Ryoko-san," she said, looking at the two worriedly. "Washu-san is going to save you!"  
  
Her eyes briefly met with a bewildered Kiyone, and Mihoshi had a clouded look in her eyes, prohibiting Kiyone from reading her mind.  
  
Kiyone sighed, shutting her eyes.  
  
She hated reunions.  
  
---  
  
TSUZUKU (To be continued) . . .  
  
---  
  
Episode teaser:  
  
Ryoko: Washu saves our lives, but drags us unexpectedly into the middle of a race in space! Not that I care, because Aeka is not my concern . . .  
  
Mihoshi: Demo demo, Ryoko-san! Aeka-san is finding out more about the murder mystery!  
  
Next, on Shattered Mirror: "Familiar Echoes!"  
  
Ryoko: Tenchi . . . if you really cared about me, wouldn't you have chased me . . . ?  
  
---  
  
AUTHOR's NOTES:  
  
Wow. I haven't worked on SM for about a couple of months, but after some pushing and heavy inspiration, I got off my lazy ass and started working on it. ;) And this is the result. Rather rushed, I understand, but I needed to get the plot moving for a while. Mysteries will be solved as the story goes along. And yes, who will Tenchi pick? [The indecisive guy doesn't deserve anyone, but to keep readers happy . . .]  
  
Some side notes I failed to address earlier:  
  
- Washu's honorifics: She places the word "-dono" at the end for most everyone [except her own daughter, affectionately referred to as "Ryoko-chan," and Sasami does not have this suffix as well], which is the equivalent to "lord/lady." It's her way of respect. ** This applies the same to Katsuhito, as he uses the same honorific-ing -- he calls EVERYONE with the -dono suffix, minus his grandson. ^^;  
  
- Tenchi's honorifics: Very simple. He uses "-san" for most everyone, which is equivalent of being very polite -- it refers to almost like a "Mr/Mrs/Ms" title, with the exception of Ryoko and Sasami [who becomes "Sasami-chan"]. And occasionally Washu, if he's being life-threatened by her to be called "Washu-chan." ^_^;  
  
- Aeka's honorifics: Calls everyone with "-san" suffix except for Ryoko and Sasami.  
  
- Sasami's honorifics: Very cute. In this fanfic, we'll see Sasami using formal honorifics as if she was addressing a stranger. But we do see a few flashbacks [or questionable parts?]. Sasami calls all the other girls with the "-oneechan" suffix, which is an endearment term to older females [i.e. Ryoko-oneechan]. Tenchi becomes "Tenchi-niichan." She's more respectful to her sister, whom she calls "Oneesama," and the "-sama" indicates an elder and one who is greater.  
  
- Mihoshi/Kiyone: Both address everyone with "-san" suffixes, minus Sasami, whom they attach "-chan" [affectionate term of endearment for one that is younger or someone who are you close to].  
  
- Ryoko: Uses no honorifics. ^_^; Unless she's being sarcastic . . .  
  
On another note, "Mabiki" is Kiyone's last name revealed in the TV series. This is based on the OVA series, with Kiyone in it . . . hence you're going to have to take the relationships of Kiyone with the "Tenchi family" from the TV series and transfer it into this fanfic. I gave her that last name and kept Mihoshi's TV one as well, which was "Kuramitsu."  
  
I love C&C. And I've made this pointlessly lengthy. _ Anyway, enjoy.  
  
-- Emily Koh (mink249@aol.com)  
July 1, 2001 [a landmark for SM fanficcing? ^^;]  
  



	5. Familiar Echoes

SHATTERED MIRROR  
Part 5: Familiar Echoes  
by Emily "Mink" Koh  
  
***  
  
DISCLAIMER: "Tenchi Muyo! Ryo-ohki" is (c) 1992, AIC and Pioneer. I don't own it. "Shattered Mirror" is (c) 2000-2001, Emily Koh (mink249@aol.com). Do not repost elsewhere without my consent.  
  
***  
  
Sasami smiled rather coldly. "Hello," she said. "Come in. You must be exhausted from your journey." Two pink spots appeared on her cheek. "I heard about the ruckus at the Sol System checkpoint . . . no doubt you will be tired."  
  
Reluctantly, her older sister and Katsuhito followed Sasami into the throne room. "Tea? Nanase can serve it." She looked towards the eager servant in the room.  
  
"No thank you, we're both fine," Aeka said crisply. She was still shocked with the fact that a.) her sister was now next in line, since b.) she had been stripped of her title BY her sister, and c.) Tenchi had gone off to save Ryoko when he could've been with her.  
  
"Certainly," Katsuhito said, contradicting Aeka's statement, and she arched an eyebrow at him but remained silent. "We're both famished -- we haven't had much to eat in a while, if you'll excuse us. Too much excitement." His tone, unlike Aeka's, was warm and fair. "And if you don't mind me asking, is Okaasama around?"  
  
The blue-haired princess smiled. "Funaho-okaasama is here, yes," she said. "She must be out in the garden." She cleared her throat momentarily. Nanase got the message, and left the room with Katsuhito's orders. Sasami continued when she was not there. "And if you don't mind, I'm sure I have a lot of catching up to do with Oneesama."  
  
Katsuhito understood. "I'll see if Okaasama is indeed in the garden," he said, getting up. "I'll come back for my tea." As he left the room, he ignored Aeka's pleading eyes. Katsuhito had a knack for knowing when people had serious things to discuss, and in truth, he did not think Sasami had dangerous intentions. In fact, he thought he would've quite approved with Sasami's idea if he knew what it was. Besides, Aeka had to do this on her own.  
  
Aeka swore under her breath uncharacteristically as Katsuhito left. // Of course, Tenchi leaves, and now my own brother decides to desert me as well, // she thought bitterly, but prompted a forced smile to Sasami. "What was it you wanted to catch up on, Sasami?" she inquired, forcing herself not to quiver. "After all, when you took off three years ago, it was quite unexpected."  
  
Sasami smiled -- that meaningless smile that held no sincerity, a hidden meaning; something that vexed Aeka constantly now. "Oh, just some things . . . I suppose you have been on Earth all this time, being under Tenchi-dono's care?"  
  
The lack of Sasami's honorific -- the usual "Tenchi-niichan" -- and this polite term hurt Aeka's ears. Attempting not to show her shock at the change in Sasami [and failing miserably], Aeka said, "Certainly. Mihoshi-san and I have been there."  
  
"Ah. So Ryoko-dono didn't come crawling back . . ."  
  
"Sasami!" The defense was shocking to both girls. "Ryo-Ryoko-san is not one to come crawling back! She has dignity," Aeka hissed. Momentarily, she was confused. Why had she defended her rival? The one she hated the most?  
  
Her . . . friend?  
  
Scowling derisively, Aeka quickly said, "And Ryoko has no right to be called 'Ryoko-dono.' Even her own mother will agree with me."  
  
" . . . Have you had any contact with Washu-dono?"  
  
"Contact?" Aeka shook her head. "She's been as elusive as you've been in these three years. Although . . . I think she was at the Sol System checkpoint. I couldn't be sure."  
  
"I see." Sasami licked her lips. "Come with me."  
  
It was an order, not a request, and Aeka followed her unwillingly. They entered Sasami's chambers, and momentarily stopped at Sasami's balcony. "Do you see remember . . . three years ago, we all came to Jurai?"  
  
A smile flickered on Aeka's face. "How could I not?" she said softly, then laughed. "Otousama was very upset at meeting Tenchi-sama again. I remember it so clearly . . . and Ryoko-san got a hangover because she went on a drinking binge that day, after Okaasama chased her. We found her at a bar . . . everyone was so startled that THE space pirate Ryoko was on Jurai!"  
  
"Even more surprising was the fact that the royal family was protecting her," Sasami said softly in a way that was so different from the strict person Aeka had just encountered that Aeka snapped her head up in surprise.  
  
"Sasami . . . ?" she said gingerly.  
  
Her name broke off the transformation -- whatever it had been -- and Sasami became quite business-like again. "See that tree over there?" she said. "That is the remainders of our Promise Tree." She gave a stoic grin. "Cruel irony, you might call it. Coincidental, that it follows the fall of our family."  
  
A lump formed in Aeka's throat, and she remembered something she had wanted to discuss. "We... well, we heard at the Sol System checkpoint that a member of the royal family of Jurai died." She didn't add the murdered part. "Who was it?"  
  
Sasami ignored her question. "Saa," she said simply, and Aeka had no choice but to follow. They went down the stairs from the balcony to a small garden pond nearby, done in traditional Japanese style.  
  
"Do you know how to skip stones?" Sasami asked.  
  
The silliness of the question made Aeka frown and scrutinize her own sister. "Sasami?" she said softly. "What ludicrous questions!"  
  
"Do you?" Sasami asked.  
  
"Of course not!" Aeka said.  
  
Sasami smiled. "Tenchi-dono can, can't he? I remember." Nearby, she picked up a flat gray stone, rubbing her fingers over the smooth surface. In a rather unlady-like movement, she allowed the stone to skip over the water.  
  
"Wonderful," Aeka said with a hint of sarcasm in her voice that she had failed to mask completely. "Is that all?"  
  
Sasami placed a rock in her sister's hand. "Just try it."  
  
Aeka failed to see the point of this exercise, but complied rather reluctantly, lest she make a fool out of herself. She flicked it effortlessly.  
  
It sailed twice without sinking. On the third skip, the rock sunk.  
  
The purple-haired princess smiled bitterly and looked at her sister. "Now that you've made a fool out of myself, what did you really want to discuss?"  
  
Her sister didn't hear her. "Ripples," Sasami said. "When a rock sinks, it causes ripples. Almost like an earthquake. Affects the peace of the entire pond, doesn't it?"  
  
The philosophical statement suddenly made sense in Aeka's mind and she glared at Sasami -- an odd moment for her. She hated being mad at her sister, but this sister, who had left her three years ago and had declared that Aeka was not fit to be an heir to Jurai, and left them on Earth -- she deserved to be glared at, Aeka thought fiercely.  
  
"I didn't come here to be lectured on our family," Aeka retorted tartly.  
  
"Ah . . . but you see, that's why we're all connected. Because of what happened, and we can't escape that."  
  
---  
  
Kiyone shut her eyes briefly, rubbing her temples. This was all just a bad dream, she reassured herself. A nightmare come true. She was not participating in helping the space pirate Ryoko escape from the Galaxy Police; she was merely a hostage. Innocent bystander.  
  
// No, // she thought bitterly. // If I really was so loyal to the GP and not aiding Ryoko in her escape, I'd do something about it now. //  
  
Loyalty was one of those things that had Kiyone confused. She thought she knew what it was, when she used to live on Earth. Loyal to her family, even to Ryoko, and she hadn't done a thing. Never dreamed of hurting her -- they were a family. Something that Kiyone had failed to attain in childhood and something she had never been familiar with.  
  
Of course, when GP had contacted her . . . what could she tell them? "Sorry, but now that I'm living with Ryoko, I can't perform my duties as I had planned"? They had told her that Ryoko was wanted by several space pirates whom she was indebted to, and were off to find a suitable punishment [namely, death] for her for the overdue payment.  
  
So she had tried to warn Ryoko. In order not to scare anyone, she had taken Ryoko to the Okayama mountains, providing the excuse that it was merely a hiking trip to "talk" about their differences -- a police officer and a criminal. Of course, how was Kiyone to know that the GP forces had landed on Earth and had managed to tag her location? And they had come to take Ryoko away?  
  
She shut her eyes. The look in Ryoko's eyes -- of anger, of confusion, of bewilderment -- had stayed with her all this time.   
  
And she pleaded innocent -- to everyone -- but when the GP forces gave her a pat and said that Kiyone had been excellent, what could she say? They had set her up, really? She had lost not only a friend, but her family.  
  
She had no one to turn to, anyway. With her family gone, the Galaxy Police were the only ones who would take her in, thanks to her "accomplishments." She had never gotten a chance to explain -- and who would believe her, anyway? She remembered Tenchi telling her that family was forever, but promotions were only temporary joy. Had she thrown them away for that?  
  
// No! // she thought firmly, unwilling to cry. // I am not weak. I was right. No one believed. //  
  
She sighed. // I didn't try hard enough. //  
  
She studied Tenchi, hunched over a half-conscious Ryoko inside what looked eerily like a white plastic casket. The top was glass, but was rarely on, due to Tenchi's presence. He hadn't left Ryoko's side ever since Washu had gotten her in and begun to heal her weak system from the subspace cell.  
  
Kiyone smiled, in spite of the grim situations. It was obvious that Tenchi cared a lot. In fact, it was Tenchi who had confided in Kiyone alone whom he had liked. He seemed like the little brother she never had -- not the one where they had sibling rivalry, but the one where they were a team in rare moments. She had never gotten close to Tenchi or found any attraction to him like the other girls; he was just another person in her family.  
  
Then she cringed. What kind of sister was she? Turning her back on him? He hadn't said anything to her before she left, but the hurt look he had given her -- along with everyone else's bewildered faces -- were enough to worm immense guilt into her heart.  
  
She wondered briefly if she could make it up: apologize; explain.   
  
Looking at Tenchi with Ryoko, she gritted her teeth. What was the point? She had caused this, and it added to her list of Things to Apologize For. Besides, it was too late. It wasn't worth trying -- she'd simply humiliate herself.  
  
// The least I can do is be nice, I suppose, // she thought bitterly.  
  
Mihoshi came over leisurely. "Tea?" she asked conversationally, but not amiably. "Washu-san had some tea bags left over -- I guess she took some before she left us," she said, smiling blandly.  
  
Washu had taken an apparent liking to tea, Kiyone noted. She and Ryoko had left Earth almost instantly after the Galaxy Police incident -- only Ryoko was a refuge and Kiyone was under the GP's wing. Mihoshi had refused to embark with them, and due to her "lack of loyalty," her own ship was taken away from her, as well as her GP officer rights. And shortly after, Washu had left Earth to help her daughter -- only it turned out that Ryoko had decided to forget everything on Earth completely, including her mother.  
  
"Tea?" Kiyone snorted. "Amazing how you actually made some decent tea," she remarked, sipping the cup that Mihoshi handed her. Mihoshi offered a smile, but as she turned away, Kiyone caught the hurt look.  
  
// So much for nice, // she thought, cringing. // Strike one. //  
  
She flexed her fingers. Once she had been transferred to Washu's ship, Washu had untied her, as long as Kiyone promised not to do anything irrational. Not that Kiyone could -- or would, Washu knew. Guilt was apparent.  
  
"So," Kiyone said calmly, "where are you headed to? Taking refuge in space now?"  
  
"We're off to Jurai," Mihoshi answered her thinly. "Aeka-san got a message . . . which concerned her status on Jurai," she said uncomfortably. "She went ahead with Tenchi's grandfather to talk with Sasami-chan."  
  
There was a moment of silence, and Kiyone looked up, cricking an eyebrow. "Is this some kind of sick joke?" she said.  
  
Mihoshi blinked, and Tenchi's ears perked up, but Washu didn't seem particularly surprised.  
  
"Sasami's dead," Kiyone said softly. "Is Aeka-san hoping to soothe her guilt by talking to Sasami-chan's ghost?" she asked not unkindly.  
  
"... Dead?" Mihoshi repeated, swallowing nervously.   
  
At this point, Tenchi turned around. "We heard a member of the royal family on Jurai was..." He corrected himself and said, "A member of the royal family on Jurai died." His eyes flicked to Ryoko briefly and no one missed it. "Is that Sasami-chan?"  
  
"Well, it's top secret right now -- but what's the point? You're bound to find out sooner or later," Kiyone said. She blurted out before she could stop herself, "And you know who the perpetrator is? It's Ryo--"  
  
"That's a lie," Tenchi interrupted.  
  
His sudden vigor surprised everyone. "Ryoko... Ryoko might've killed people under Kagato's control," he said as evenly as he could. "But... not by choice. Not Sasami-chan." He shook his head. "I refuse to believe it. No."  
  
No one protested.  
  
// Because that's what we all want to believe, // Kiyone thought sadly.  
  
Before anyone could respond, the ship jolted forward and everyone fell over.  
  
"Wh-what was that?!"  
  
On the main screen computer, an angry man showed up, shaking his fist. He looked like a typical space pirate wannabe that Kiyone had often caught on her patrols. "Watch where you're going!" he shrilled.  
  
"Excuse you," Washu said flatly. "I believe you crashed into my ship."  
  
"What's with the prim and proper act?! This is a race! No time for formalities!"  
  
With that, the connection clicked off, and as Washu scratched her head, muttering something about "young people" in space today, Kiyone suddenly got a bad feeling.  
  
"Washu-san," she said, "can we get a widescreen visual?"  
  
Beaming at the honorific [and finally glad she was getting at least *some* respect, Washu agreed. "Done~!" she agreed. "Computer, widescreen visual!"  
  
The computer complied, and a panoramic view of space ahead of them popped up.  
  
Thousands of ships passed by them, barely missing them. All the junk on Washu's main computer window had blocked the view of actual space. Each ship seemed to have a yellow banner trailing out stylishly somewhere.  
  
"What is this?" Mihoshi asked. "A parade?"  
  
"It's a race held by Plareica," Kiyone said, scowling. "A nearby planet . . . they're not one with a great reputation. It's a poor nation there -- it's a horrible dictatorship over there. The Galaxy Police has always been after Plareica's royal family for not properly taking care of the nation."  
  
"Plareican races are out of control," Washu said critically. "They have this huge 'jackpot' for the winner -- a nice sum for the winner, eh? Anyway, Plareica's royal family holds this race to jeer at all the poor families entering so that they can win the money to feed their family." She sighed. "The thing is, the race routes are not monitored -- besides cameras that keep track -- and they're just all around, interfering with traffic -- and my WORK."  
  
"It's not the GP's fault!" Kiyone blurted defensively. "The routes are so wild --"  
  
"No one's blaming the GP," Washu said coolly. "Anyway, if the race interferes with us on the way to Jurai, we'll be delayed."  
  
"We can't," Tenchi spoke up softly. "I promised Aeka-san... I'd get there as soon as I could..."  
  
"Well, this is as soon as we can go, Tenchi-dono," Washu said briskly. "I'll do my best."  
  
---  
  
Funaho walked among the Jurai gardens quite peacefully. Azusa had ordered the gardens to be constructed not long after Sasami's move back home -- despite his strict exterior, he obviously cared enough to see that his daughter felt at home after spending several years on Earth.  
  
"Okaa-sama."  
  
The empress whirled around, facing her son. Surprised yet thrilled, she arched an eyebrow, smiling. "Yosho?" she said. "What are you doing here?"  
  
The old man had been replaced by a young one with thick black hair, tied in a long ponytail and the many wrinkles were gone from his face. He wiped his glasses, then smiled, modestly dressed in his blue hakama and shrine caretaker outfit. "A visit," he said calmly, coming down towards her. "We were called to Jurai . . . do you know anything about it?"  
  
"'We'?" Funaho repeated.  
  
"Yes, Aeka and I. Well, Tenchi, Mihoshi-san, and Ryo-ohki were with us as well, but they had to take care of some business," Yosho replied as honestly as he could.  
  
"Well," Funaho said, smiling. "That is good to hear." She sighed. "Yes . . . it was Sasami-chan that decided to invite you all. She didn't think any of you would come if she addressed a letter to you. So she asked the Council to pose a rather serious one." She laughed lightly. "I admire her tactics."  
  
" . . . When I saw her, it looked like she had already joined with Tsunami," Yosho said gravely, after a moment of silence. "Is this true?"  
  
Funaho pursed her lips. "Lots of things have changed, Yosho."  
  
"Like?" Yosho smiled gently. "I'll be here for a while, I gather."  
  
"Your father is still quite ill," Funaho said. "God forbid whatever it is . . . but he's been like that for quite a while -- it's gotten worse over the years. Sasami-chan tends to be quite often. Of course, Misaki-oneesama and I are acting on behalf of him."  
  
"Then why is it that Aeka's title was stripped by Sasami?"  
  
Funaho sighed. "I guess . . . it had to do with a spiteful edge she had for a while. Not that you would believe it!" She chuckled softly. "But . . . I guess she truly thought Aeka wasn't worthy of being heir to the throne. After all, Aeka had dedicated herself to a life on Earth, without Jurai."  
  
"I remember when she left," Yosho said wistfully. "The Jurai Council came, telling us that the princess's presence was necessary on Jurai -- that Otousama was 'in bad condition,' and that the princess was needed now. Aeka was so stubborn . . . she didn't want to leave Tenchi." He smiled at the memory. "But she had a duty . . . "  
  
"And Sasami-chan chose to go in her place," Funaho finished gently for him. "Didn't she?"  
  
"Yes." Yosho sighed. "Sasami, I suppose, realized the dire situations. But . . . I believe that she truly gave up everything. Threw away her childhood, really. It wasn't right to pose such a fate on a girl so young. In fact, I regret it -- I should have spoken up and gone in both of their places."  
  
"Funny how you should mention she threw away her childhood . . ." Funaho murmured.  
  
"Oh, Okaasama. I heard from the Sol System checkpoint . . . a Jurai royal family member died. By Ryoko's hands, if I remember correct," Yosho said. "Is this true?"  
  
"It's true," Funaho agreed. "But . . . the one who died doesn't want her held responsible. I know." She sighed. "I don't hold her responsible either. But . . ."  
  
Yosho did best not to push the matter. "I understand," he said. "But . . . why have we been called to Jurai?"  
  
Funaho smiled esoterically. "That is all in Sasami-hime's hands."  
  
---  
  
I know you're awake. Get up.  
  
Ryoko had to force herself not to snap open her eyes -- she'd be staring into Tenchi's face, anyway. That wasn't what she wanted to do.  
  
Not now, anyway.  
  
Ryoko-chan. He's so worried about you.  
  
The ship jolted, and Ryoko flinched.  
  
. . . Don't talk to me.  
  
The ship kept lurching forward. Ryoko cringed inwardly. That race Washu and Kiyone had been talking about was going to be dangerous for her health -- she was going to be cramps before they even moved an inch forward. Ships swarmed Washu's ship, and they grazed her fiercely.  
  
My, my, aren't we being anti-social? was Washu's satirical comeback.  
  
"You would think that they'd do something about security," Washu snapped.  
  
Ryoko cringed. 'She can hold two conversations at once . . . marvelous,' she thought sarcastically.   
  
Her mother -- no, this *woman* -- had no right to invade her mind. To hear what she thought. To tell her to do things. Some mother she was, having no right for privacy.  
  
Give me some privacy, will you? Ryoko snapped.  
  
I know you're not unconscious. Stop faking it.  
  
P-r-i-v-a-c-y!  
  
There was silence on Washu's end, and Ryoko had to stop a defiant smirk from creeping on her face.  
  
Yes, glad you finally got the message, she couldn't help retorting. What kind of person is a mother who doesn't even let their daughters think in peace? You may have saved my life by hooking me to these wires, but really!  
  
More silence.  
  
For a moment, Ryoko was happy.   
  
Then the guilt came.  
  
'No--!' she thought almost immediately. 'That's what's been ruining your life. Guilt. This Earthling boy taught you guilt. You never knew it before you met him -- destroy it!'  
  
You . . . Washu's voice whispered in her head again.  
  
Fighting back? Ryoko teased.  
  
You don't deserve any more privacy, Washu said replied coldly. You never open up. Quite possibly, no one knows the real you -- except for a select few. Me, because I can get in your head. Sasami-chan -- you two may not be too close, but let's face it, she's a lot more sharp on everyone's personality than anyone else I know of. And three -- Tenchi-dono. Because he cares about--  
  
SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP--  
  
Ryoko shut her eyes tightly.  
  
Mistake.  
  
"Ryoko?" Tenchi whispered. "Washu-san, I think Ryoko's coming to . . ."  
  
"Leave her alone. Let her rest," was Washu's staunch reply.  
  
One good thing, Ryoko growled testily. No response.  
  
"Naa, Ryoko..." Tenchi stopped grasping her hand, and his own hand brushed back Ryoko's bangs lightly, touching her cheek hesitantly, then brushing it. "Are you awake?"  
  
She froze. His hand left hot traces, and she wanted to slap his hand away.  
  
"I guess not," he murmured, sighing. "Ryoko . . ." He continued in a hushed voice -- a private conversation meant for only for the two of them. "You haven't changed one bit. Wild and vivacious. And still beautiful."  
  
The word that had lingered at his tongue had come out, and Ryoko felt the hairs on her neck stand up. He thought she was beautiful? She felt thrilled --  
  
No. No! He was . . . not him. She didn't want him. 'I used to love him,' she thought bitterly. 'But not now.'  
  
"Ryoko . . . when we were in that subspace place together . . ." Tenchi leaned in close, whispering very softly. "You told me that you could never care for me again, because I never chased after you when you left." He gave an odd, humorless laugh. "First off, I didn't have a ship to chase you in. If I did, I would have followed, I swear."  
  
'Poor excuses,' Ryoko thought, clenching her fists. Tenchi didn't notice, only continued to brush her cheek softly.  
  
"But . . . you're right. I'm a coward. I couldn't admit to my feelings. My heart is weak."  
  
'Hell, yes.'  
  
"But . . . you never knew. And it's not fair to lie to you, by smiling and playing along like everything's okay. Because everything isn't. I don't want to have to keep smiling at you innocently. Ryoko, I have to tell you that --"  
  
She groaned out loud before she could stop herself. 'He chose Aeka. He's telling me it. I can tell . . . his voice is so full of regret.' Languidly, she stretched her arms, and opened her eyes. Tenchi's face was very close.  
  
He bolted up, as she did as well, biting down a scowl. "Ryo-Ryoko?!"  
  
"Tenchi . . . ?" Ryoko mumbled, feigning a dazed state. "Where am I . . . ?"  
  
"Did you hear anything?" he mumbled. "From before?"  
  
"Before?"   
  
"Never mind," Tenchi said. "Washu-san! Ryoko's awake!"  
  
The ship lurched again, and Washu fell on her way over. "Thank you, Tenchi-dono," she said.  
  
"Thanks? For what?"  
  
"For waking her up." Washu smiled.  
  
He did not, Ryoko retorted.  
  
"I . . . uh . . ." Tenchi blushed. "I'm going to have some of Mihoshi-san's coffee." His eyes met briefly with Ryoko's, but she looked away almost immediately.  
  
As he walked off, Washu patted Ryoko's shoulder. "Well."  
  
Ignoring the hot tears that stung her eyes, Ryoko hmphed contemptuously.  
  
Unplugging Ryoko from all the wires that surrounded her body, Washu continued in a very innocent voice, "You know we can't hang around in the past." She narrowed her eyes at her daughter. "You and I both know that. All that's left are echoes. And I suppose that they are memories . . . but that's all they are. Echoes. Nothing will be brought back, you know. So be concerned about the present."  
  
With that, Washu went off [to prevent further jolts and bumps to her precocious ship] and Ryoko stared after her.  
  
"The present, huh?"  
  
---  
  
EPISODE TEASER:  
  
Washu: That stupid race has delayed us, but we've finally arrived on Jurai! But passions run high when we get together for a big happy family reunion. And just what does Sasami-chan have up her sleeve?  
  
Next time on Shattered Mirror: "Goddesses Plotting"!  
  
Finally, I'll meet with my sisters . . .  
  
---  
  
AUTHOR's NOTES:  
  
Wow. This has been hell to write this chapter. _; Originally, I intended more sentimentality, but it turns out that some people wanted more clarification or wanted to see one chara's side more. I realized that maybe I should just put the information in the conversations that take place above.  
  
So far, it's still blurry. But happy I cleared THIS out of the way -- now time for the more important chapters. More character development, mainly. And excuse the lack of Tenchi/Ryoko moments -- you'll get that and more in the next part.  
  
I really want to hear more C&C! Especially after if you've read the next part or so -- it's great to hear feedback on what's good or what sucked about each chapter.  
  
Still confused? E-mail me at mink249@aol.com for clarification, or you can wait a bit longer.  
  
Vocabulary:  
okaasama -- very respectful for mother (see part 3 for honorific lessons)  
otousama -- very respectful for father  
oniisama -- very respectful for brother  
oneesama -- very respectful for sister  
saa -- means something like "I wouldn't know." Usually accompanied by a shrug, and you will definitely annoy people if you keep saying this.  
hakama -- Bottom pants for a shrine priest/priestess's outfit.  
naa -- not really a slang, but it's the guy's equivalent to "ne." it means like, "hey..." when you begin a conversation, not like, "hey! what's up"  
  
Plareica is not a real planet. ^^; The race part is more or less an inside joke with a few friends of mine . . . it has nothing to do with the major plotline, so ignore it. D  
  
If you're confused about the Jurain royal member getting killed, please refer back to part 3, there have been revisions.  
  
All the reaction/behavior/emotional stuff is next. ^_^  
  
-- Emily Koh (mink249@aol.com)  
July 7, 2001  



	6. Goddesses Plotting

SHATTERED MIRROR  
Part 6: Goddesses Plotting  
by Emily "Mink" Koh  
  
***  
  
DISCLAIMER: "Tenchi Muyo! Ryo-ohki" is (c) 1992, AIC and Pioneer Ltd. "Shattered Mirror" is (c) 2000-2001, Emily "Mink" Koh (mink249@aol.com). Do not repost elsewhere without my consent.  
  
***  
  
Washu's ship gave a deafening roar as it came to a stop into Jurai by the palace. Getting past the checkpoint had been a hassle -- for everyone's sake, Kiyone had to impose her Galaxy Police rights upon the guards [and she made new enemies through this] whereas they had to disguise Ryoko. Tenchi firmly decided that disguises were not for him -- he was always stuck in a girl's costume.  
  
Now that it was done and over with, he was finally on Jurai. He breathed in the fresh air, and smiled. Jurai certainly hadn't changed since the last time he had come in tow with his entire family. The peacefulness reminded him of Earth, as he stepped off Washu's ship with the others, meeting up with more Jurain guards into the entrance at the palace.  
  
"Which one of you is Masaki Tenchi?" one of the stout guards asked.  
  
"I am," Tenchi spoke up. Out of the corner of his eye, he spotted various guards staring at him. What a sight they must be -- a young man, a young red-haired girl, two women that resembled legendary Galaxy Police Officer legends, and the space pirate Ryoko in flesh. "Is Aeka-san here?"  
  
He noticed Ryoko cringe, and he wanted to suddenly hold both of her hands, slap some sense into her, tell her that he cared about her, that he had never picked Aeka --  
  
He shuddered at his sudden honesty, but didn't make a move to Ryoko. Had she still been hurting all these years?   
  
// Of course, you idiot, // he thought almost immediately.  
  
Before he had more time to beat up on himself, the guard motioned him. "Funaho-sama and Misaki-sama requested to see you as soon as you arrived." The guard paused a moment, seeing everyone's faces, then added, "No one else for the moment."  
  
"Just like those snobby Jurains," Ryoko scowled. Noticing the guards bristling, she smirked. "What? You going to make something of it?"  
  
Washu immediately hit Ryoko's arm. Still weak and not completely re-energized from her near death experience, Ryoko nearly crumpled. "Watch yourself," Washu said quietly. "We are on Jurain ground. It doesn't matter if you're under our protection, I won't have my daughter disgracing us around."  
  
"Well, *mama*, you've certainly cleaned up your act," Ryoko snapped.  
  
As Tenchi walked away with the guard uneasily, another guard motioned for Washu. "The scientist, eh? Your presence is required in Sasami-hime's room."  
  
Washu seemed to agree readily, not surprised. "All right," she said. "I've been waiting for this."  
  
Before anyone else could speak as Washu walked off as well, a young girl ran smack into Mihoshi's legs. "Kyaa -- ! Oh! It's Ryo-chan!"  
  
Indeed, it was. The cabbit girl shivered, clutching Mihoshi's hand. "Miya," she said nervously. "Miya."  
  
"What's the matter? Did you find . . . Sasami-chan?" Mihoshi said the name hesitantly. Both Kiyone and Ryoko didn't miss her lapse in speech, and Kiyone shot her a dirty look whereas Ryoko hmphed and turned away, a sly smirk tracing her lips briefly, ignoring her own cabbit.  
  
"You four," another guard instructed. "You're all to meet after everyone has spoken at their appointments. The conference room and lounge is open at the moment -- that's where you'll stay." His tone was gruff.  
  
They obliged willingly, but the same guard caught Ryoko's arm. Kiyone, Mihoshi, and Ryo-ohki did not see it, as they went on ahead curiously to the room.  
  
"What the -- !" Ryoko wriggled her arm free from his grasp. "What the hell do you think you're doing?!" she scowled. She found herself face-to-face with the guard and the fear in his eyes were unavoidable.  
  
A wave of guilt washed over her -- guilt for having this damn title of the "greatest space pirate," guilt for having innocent blood on her hands.   
  
No! No! No!  
  
Guilt was for the weak-hearted!  
  
She was strong! That bastard Tenchi had taught her guilt . . . she should've never ever stayed with him on Earth . . . his ways were haunting her.  
  
"What?" she finally repeated, exasperated, but in a calmer tone.  
  
"The . . . the hime-sama wanted to see you," he said nervously, tugging his collar.  
  
"Aeka?" Ryoko arched an eyebrow. "Man, you'd think she'd --"  
  
"No, no, not her. Sasami-hime."  
  
Ryoko opened her mouth to protest, but then silently agreed.  
  
---  
  
Kiyone licked her upper lip nervously, pacing around the conference-slash-lounge room nervously. She hated being here, being told not to leave. She felt so locked up.  
  
Mihoshi, on the other hand, was about to blow up this room if Kiyone didn't keep an eye on her curious journeys along with a patient Ryo-ohki. She picked up various medals from the mantelpiece. "I wonder what this -- oops!" It clattered to the floor relentlessly and she giggled uneasily, dusting it. "Uh . . . my bad."  
  
Kiyone cringed. "Just don't touch anything, Mihoshi," she said. "You'll break something."  
  
"Oh, okay," Mihoshi replied. She brushed by a glass award, conveniently sneezing near it, and knocked her hand into it by accident. "Gah!"  
  
"No!"  
  
Both girls dived for it, and conked heads, with the award landing safely between both of their hands. Quickly, Kiyone snatched it and put it back on the mantelpiece. "Why can't you just listen to what I say?" she said frustratedly. "Why do you have to cause so much trouble? It's always your fault."  
  
Mihoshi's breath caught in her throat. "I'm... I'm sorry," she said slowly.  
  
Kiyone bristled, and suddenly blurted out, "No. Stop it. Why can't you become angry? Why don't you yell at me? Why? Why do you agree with me?"  
  
Both girls stared at each other, stunned. Embarrassed, Kiyone suddenly contradicted herself. "No. Wait. Mihoshi . . ."  
  
Mihoshi shook her head fiercely. "No. You're right, Kiyone," she said softly. "Why do I never get mad? You must be wondering how in the world you ever got stuck with such a partner like me." She smiled sadly. "But . . . you're my friend. I can't get mad at you! I get in so many scrapes and you get me out of them. I can never get mad at you! You're always there for me. And whenever you get ticked off at me, I know it's because that's for a good reason." She blinked. "That's why."  
  
"No. No," Kiyone said, her own whispers growing louder. Where was this coming from? Somewhere. Her heart, perhaps? "No . . . Mihoshi, I've betrayed you. And everyone else. I left you all! For . . . for, for what? A promotion? By reeling in the greatest criminal of all time -- Ryoko-san? Is that what I wanted? I don't deserve your friendship, Mihoshi."  
  
She paused. "All this time, I haven't stopped thinking about our times back together, and my family . . . my real family. On Earth." She smiled somberly. "Everyone told me that I had such a great cover-up there. 'The best undercover agent.'" She sighed. "But that wasn't me! I really cared about you guys. I even forgot about my job, until we got those alerts. And then I'd take it all out on you, saying you got us stuck." She paused. "But the truth is, I never tried leaving. Because I never wanted to."  
  
"Ne . . . Kiyone," Mihoshi said softly, "no one believes that you roped in Ryoko-san on purpose like that. I don't." She sighed. "We all wanted to believe you hadn't at first, but when you left with them -- we didn't know what to think anymore." She looked at up at her former partner. "Why didn't you protest against your leave? You may have lost your job, but you wouldn't have lost us. Right?"  
  
"Because," Kiyone said through gritted teeth. "What was the point? I considered it. But the guilt would stay with me forever -- Ryoko-san couldn't stay on Earth then, right? With those space pirates after her tail and the GP ready to net her in. I'd be living with guilt that I had destroyed a member of the family." She laughed bitterly. "But now I know that it was just a poor excuse to delude myself. I broke the family. I shattered it."  
  
"But . . . but shattered things can be mended!" Mihoshi protested.  
  
Mihoshi's plea fell on deaf ears, as Kiyone sat, wallowing in her re-flamed guilt.  
  
---  
  
"Come in."  
  
Ryoko entered the throne room hesitantly, and saw Sasami. Her breath drew in sharply, and she steeled herself, holding a pillar nearby to steady her weak self. "Sasami," she said. Her brow furrowed. "Or is it Tsunami now?"  
  
Sasami looked at her friend sadly. "Ryoko-oneechan . . ." A flicker of recognition flew in Sasami's eyes, of her childish self. "Please . . . you know that . . ."  
  
"Tsunami. Don't tease me with the past," Ryoko said sharply. "Let's get down to business. You don't need to hurt me more than I have been -- I feel guilty already."  
  
"Don't you understand? We're one now, Ryoko-oneechan," came the coaxing voice from the princess. "Tsunami and I are one, Ryoko-oneechan. You didn't kill me. No one did."  
  
Ryoko ignored her, one arm akimbo. "So. What's my punishment?" There was a certain edge to her voice that made Sasami very quiet. "Torture? Death? Or let me live so I suffer for my deeds?" A dark smirk appeared on her face. "Because that's fine with me. Hell, I've had so many people haunt me about their death -- that's what Kagato wanted too." She scowled.  
  
"Ryoko-oneechan, I would *never* --"  
  
"You wouldn't, but would Tsunami?" Ryoko stared at her straight in the eye. "Tell me. Now that you two are one, who will decide?"  
  
They were quiet for a long moment.  
  
It was then that Sasami spotted the tears trickling down Ryoko's face.  
  
"God, Sasami . . . why did you try to save me? Why? Because you wanted me to owe you something?" Ryoko asked her softly, walking towards near a large window and looking out. "I was trying to save you! And why did you come back? So you could live -- I knew that your parents couldn't handle a loss of a child." She paused. "Loss is horrible."  
  
"Ryoko-oneechan . . ."  
  
"And even if it was . . ." She muffled a half-chuckle into her tears, "Even if it was Aeka, I would have done it. Besides, if both of us couldn't have Tenchi together, at least one of us would."  
  
The princess walked over to the space pirate. "You didn't kill me," she said softly. "I'm still here. Only . . . we've combined."  
  
The "we" sounded so wrong. Ryoko turned her to, wiping her tear-stained face dry, and bit her lip. "You could've had your childhood. Why did you come back?"  
  
"Because! We're family. I couldn't let you die." For a moment, Ryoko thought she saw the real Sasami shining through, but then the regal one took over, and she sighed. "Besides, what else should I have done? Watch you die when I knew very well that I could save you?"  
  
"No! You've sacrificed your childhood!" Ryoko protested. "For me!"  
  
Frustrated, she punched the wall, leaving a cracked dent. "Dammit, Sasami . . . I wasn't worth it. Maybe if it was for Aeka or Tenchi or Mihoshi or someone like that -- then maybe I would have understood. They know where they're going. They have a future." She laughed cruelly. "But me? I'm a space pirate. Wanted by the Galaxy Police, and caught! My reputation's tainted. Earth isn't my home anymore. And what am I going to do?"  
  
"I thought you liked life on the run?" was Sasami's reply, but she smiled kindly. "And what about the Terran boy?"  
  
Not noting the changes between Sasami and Tsunami so rapidly, Ryoko looked up, snarling. "Tenchi?" she said, laughing. "He's picked Aeka." She ran a finger through her hair. "He was trying to say goodbye to me on Washu's ship. He should've just let me drown in misery, wondering if he ever picked me or Aeka, so I could live in peace."   
  
"He cared about you," Sasami pointed out.  
  
"Cared? I was just a tenant in his home! I wonder . . . were all those moments of affection he gave me just false? Just to please himself?"  
  
Sasami let out a gasp. "Ryo-Ryoko-oneechan!" She became dignified again. "We both know that he is not that sort of a person."  
  
"Do we?" Ryoko's tone was challenging. "He's so different now -- he might've changed. How old is he now? Twenty-one? And he has longer hair in a ponytail -- not that skimpy rattail." She smiled sadly. "Yes, he's quite a catch," she added sarcastically. "Who knows -- maybe he does really hate me for bringing all that trouble to him."  
  
"Your troubles were equal to anyone else's troubles," Sasami pointed out. "And he would never hurt anyone on purpose. He's the kindest person I know -- you and I both know that. Besides, don't you think there's a reason he's never told you who he's 'picked'? He doesn't want to hurt anyone in the process."   
  
Ryoko shrugged carelessly. "Whatever," she mumbled.  
  
"Well." Sasami moved swiftly, and Ryoko looked up. "I have an appointment to meet with other people right now. I'm sorry that our time is cut short," she said, smiling apologetically. "But we'll continue this later." She tipped her head slightly, motioning towards the doorway. "By the way, the lounge is open. I'll meet you shortly there."  
  
Sasami left, and Ryoko sighed.  
  
Then Sasami stuck her head in again. "Oh, by the way, Ryoko-oneechan."  
  
"What is it?" Ryoko said, getting up. "You want me to leave now? Afraid I'll steal something?"  
  
Sasami laughed lightly. "Hardly, stay as long as you want. But --" Her eyes grew soft. "Just because someone loves you doesn't mean they should chase you wherever you go. Isn't that true? It's a balanced effort. And perhaps there are unsaid words that you must say . . ."  
  
She left again, and Ryoko stared after her, stunned.  
  
'Unsaid words, huh?'  
  
---  
  
Tenchi sat nervously in a wooden chair inside yet another empty conference room, gnawing on his bottom lip. Several Jurain guards were outside by the doorway, waiting for Funaho and Misaki to enter.   
  
Squirming, Tenchi firmly decided he didn't like wooden chairs at all. They weren't comfy to say the least -- but they were gorgeous. On the armrest were intricate designs weaving in and out of each other, made of wood. He boggled at it for a moment -- the designs made the wood seem so bendable, so flexible.  
  
Upon closer inspection, he could make out figures on the chair. Standing up, he stared at the back. Two girls -- one with what looked like the ponytail and the other one with a band around her forehead with long hair -- stood together. Adjacent to them stood a young girl with spiky hair. Down below were two men -- one was an old man and the other was not a old. On the opposite side was a young girl with long pigtails carrying a creature in her arms. In the middle stood a boy with a rattail; a spiky-haired girl on one side of him and a another girl with long hair on the other side.  
  
Tenchi nearly fell over.  
  
"Beautiful, isn't it? Sasami-dono had it designed by Ryuuten's top wood carvers."  
  
Funaho's elegant voice broke his moment of shock, and Tenchi whirled around to see her and Misaki entering. He bowed respectfully and nervously. "H-Hello," he siad.  
  
"Oh~! It's so good to see you~!" Misaki cooed, and proceeded to glomp Tenchi, who would have suffocated had Misaki not released him at the right time. "Aren't you just as adorable as I remembered..." She touched his shoulder-length ponytail. "And longer hair! Makes you look more mature," Misaki said, and hugged him again for another measure.  
  
Misaki obviously had not changed.  
  
Funaho simply shook Tenchi's hand. "It is good to see you," she agreed. "I'm sorry that we called to see you in such a short notice. But I'm glad that . . . all of you managed to come," she said slowly.  
  
"Yeah, what a coincidence, huh?" Tenchi said.  
  
Misaki giggled, and Funaho shot her a look, then smiled. "How has your time been on Earth?"  
  
"Good," Tenchi said, biting his lip.  
  
"I saw Yosho before. He seemed to be doing well . . . although he said he missed 'the old days.'"  
  
The phrase made Tenchi cringe vividly.  
  
"How is my Aeka-chan?" Misaki asked.  
  
"Good. Good," Tenchi said. // Who am I kidding, I'm lying through my teeth! And to royalty -- I wonder if they behead you if you lie? Well, it's not like I can tell them the truth: Yeah, we're doing horrible and we miss everyone, but we just can't admit anything 'cause we're all concerned about saving face. //  
  
He swallowed nervously. // Especially me. //  
  
"Good," Funaho said. "Please, sit down."  
  
Tugging his collar, Tenchi sat down hesitantly back into his chair, and Funaho and Misaki pulled up their own chairs and sat, smiling. Aware of the silence that loomed, Tenchi shifted his position and looked at them blankly; expectantly.  
  
"What do you think of family heirlooms?" Funaho said slowly.  
  
"Family heirlooms?"  
  
"You know. Belongings passed on from generation to generation. Valuable things. Irreplaceable things."  
  
"Um . . ." Tenchi scratched his head, curious to see where this was heading. "I guess they're pretty important. We have a lot." His face softened. "Like my mother's belongings -- not many people would consider them heirlooms, but they are to me."  
  
Both women smiled fondly at him. "So you're in favor of them . . .," Misaki said slowly, and looked to Funaho for confirmation of some sort.  
  
Tenchi blinked. "I guess you could say that."  
  
"We have an heirloom," Funaho said, shrugging. "An old antique mirror, from the days of Queen Hinasei herself -- 'anata' kept it." She smiled, then frowned. "It got cracked recently, though. A few hairlines around it -- it does make a bad impression."  
  
"That's right," Misaki chimed in, as if on cue. "What a shame to throw it out and get a new one. Although I suppose I could always start a new heirloom." She brightened at the thought.  
  
Tenchi's eyes fell on the mirror hanging in the back with the cracks. "That one?" he said surprise. "You could hardly notice the cracks!"  
  
"Yes, but up close, you can," Funaho said dismissively. "That's all -- we're getting it disposed of. Now --"  
  
"Wait!" Tenchi said. "That one? You can't be serious." He didn't know why he was getting so passionate over a *mirror,* for crying out loud. "You shouldn't. You can hardly notice them."  
  
"But one day, the mirror will fall. It's already weakened," Misaki countered.  
  
"No . . . you can fix it. I don't know if Jurai as the equivalent of glue or something even higher to it, I bet, but --"  
  
"How will that fix it?" Funaho said. "You can still see the cracks."  
  
This was getting ridiculous -- but then again, that nagging feeling told Tenchi that they weren't talking about mirrors anymore. "So? If it's a family heirloom, then it's very precious. It must be irreplaceable, like you said. You shouldn't throw that out." He was adamant.  
  
"So if it was yours . . . you would keep it?" Misaki said thoughtfully.  
  
"Of course!" Tenchi said. "I'd fix it, make sure it was sturdy. Mend the mirror."  
  
And then, both women beamed.  
  
"I think he passed," Funaho said softly.  
  
Misaki squealed, leaning in for another hug with Tenchi. "Excellent, excellent!" she prided. With that, she and Funaho stood up, and Tenchi stood up as well, surprised.  
  
"What did I pass?" Tenchi said, confused, and followed them out the door.  
  
"The conference room is that way," Misaki said. "Ten-chan, good luck!" With that, she went off.  
  
Cringing at the nickname, Tenchi looked helplessly at Funaho. She merely smiled at him, patting his shoulder. "Tenchi-dono," she said regally, "I hope you will apply your beliefs on our heirloom to your own heirlooms." With that, she left, leaving a confused boy behind.  
  
// "My heirlooms" . . . huh? // he thought slowly, a soft smile reaching his lips, then his eyes. // Am I the one to fix the mirror? //  
  
He paused, stepping out into the hallway.  
  
// To mend the mirror . . . //  
  
---  
  
"I'm sorry I'm late . . . oh, I see you've already been acquainted."  
  
There was a trace of a smile on Washu's lips as she got up, greeting Sasami. "You've grown," she said softly. "Or am I talking to my sister?" she asked, amused.  
  
Sasami frowned slightly. "You're like your daughter, you know," she said authoritatively, but with a sense of childishness, that didn't let Washu pick apart the two personalities. "Both of you were upset that I combined. Don't be."  
  
"I am," Washu said. "You were still a child. And now you're . . . this."  
  
"You make me sound like an experiment," Sasami said thinly, hitting a nerve. "And look at you. Quite adult-like. Or did you just take this temporary form for now, since Tokimi blessed you with your memories for now?"  
  
Washu shot her look, but another voice interrupted both of them.  
  
"Really. I give Washu back her memories briefly, and we have clashes," came the bemused voice from a ghostly figure nearby. She was much more regal than both, and it was no doubt that she held immense power.  
  
This was Tokimi.  
  
"I don't want these memories after this," Washu said crisply. "This was my past life. I don't want to be a part of it anymore -- I have a new life now. Established."  
  
"Done, I suppose," Tokimi said with a touch of arrogance. "Such testy requests."  
  
"So. What was I called here for?" Washu asked. Indeed, she had changed briefly -- the child body had been replaced by an adult one, but the same tactful look in the eyes.  
  
Sasami sat across from Washu at her coffee table, and Tokimi loomed above them in her near-transparent form. A sort of radiance glowed from the young woman and Tsunami could be clearly seen within and throughout her. "Well. We needed your assistance to get this fulfilled. After all, you are our only connection," she said in a gentle demeanor, expelling Sasami from her roots for now. "Right, Oneesama?"  
  
Washu arched an eyebrow. "I'd rather you didn't call me that," she said. "It's awkward for me."  
  
Sasami/Tsunami smiled. "As you wish."  
  
"You do realize that your 'family' is falling in shambles?" Tokimi said calmly, with that usual air of arrogance again. "We've noticed in these last three years, to be precise. They've split up. And according to Tsunami, we aren't pointing any fingers."  
  
"It can be anyone's," Sasami/Tsunami said justly. "Even Sasami-chan's, which she believes it is."  
  
"Wait," Washu said. "Before we continue. Did you not tell me you were both?"  
  
"Not completely," Sasami/Tsunami said softly. "You must understand that. Since she forced the merging too early, I couldn't settle in completely. So at times, we can flush each other out for a limited moment of time. We still shine through uniquely as we are now one, but in rare cases, we can become ourselves again. In a while, this 'ability' will go away, since the merging will be complete then."  
  
Washu stared at the palm of her hands. "And she gave up her childhood . . ."  
  
"She saw your daughter worthy to risk her life for," Sasami/Tsunami said gently. Washu frowned at her questionably, but Sasami/Tsunami put a finger to her lips. "Later, you shall hear."  
  
"Back to the issue at hand," Tokimi said impatiently. "I cannot stay here long -- I'm not usually requested my presence around here. I haven't been here in a while." The ghost gave a whispery-like sigh. "Now." Washu missed the disconcerted glance she gave to Sasami/Tsunami before continuing. "You must understand that your family's break is dangerous."  
  
"Dangerous?" Washu repeated.  
  
Tokimi seemed very reluctant to continue. "Fate hasn't chosen that path for your family," she said uncomfortably. "Apparently, 'bigger' things will happen."  
  
"Indeed," Sasami/Tsunami said serenely.  
  
"Details?" Washu demanded.  
  
Tokimi sighed, staring at Sasami/Tsunami, who simply shook her head. "None," she said. "The future is an unclear thing. You cannot make out details."  
  
"Then how do you know this? That 'bigger' things will happen?"  
  
Tokimi made a noise that sounded like she was clearing her throat. "My time is up," she said.  
  
Answering Washu's question, Sasami/Tsunami said, "No more questions. Your duty is to bring the family back together. It will become everyone's duty sooner or later, but you are the one who is aware. And that is the only part we will put back in your memories after this."  
  
Washu sat in silence, and both women ignored the other goddess.  
  
"What are you asking me to do?" Washu said finally, heaving a sigh.  
  
Sasami/Tsunami's eyes twinkled. "Put the mongoose and snake in the same room; do not interfere. Capture the bird that constantly flees -- and break all the handcuffs that she is chained within. And kindle the flame."  
  
"I don't like riddles," Washu retorted immediately, but Tokimi vanished with that, and Sasami's authoritative voice seemed to mold into one now -- Tsunami had lost complete control and gained back only half.   
  
"It's time to go back," Sasami said, putting her hands around both sides of Washu's head. "And besides, it'd be no fun if I gave you the complete answers, would I?"  
  
Washu's eyes shut briefly -- all memories hurtling out of her, and her experience today -- except the riddles and Sasami/Tsunami's request. She blinked, and she was in child state again.  
  
"So," Sasami said. "Please do what I said, Washu. It's very important, for the sake of your family. And Fate's decision."  
  
"Agreed," Washu said grudgingly, and left the room peacefully.  
  
Moments later, Tokimi materialized again, looming above a smiling Sasami.  
  
"Since when has innocent and angelic Tsunami plotted, I'm dying to know," she said coldly. "And for the record, Tsunami, I want you to know that I only did this because you put me up to it. You know well enough that there is no 'danger' Fate has chosen for the family; I can't believe I went along with your ludicrous story. You're simply trying to make the others bring back the family together for your own happiness. They are your pawns."  
  
"I wouldn't be talking, Tokimi," Sasami said thinly. "You are talking to both of us now. We are one. And besides . . . who are you to talk about pawns? I am doing this to ensure their happiness. Because I won't be a part of it."  
  
"Very well," came the snappish reply, and Tokimi vanished.  
  
Sasami was alone now, and she gazed out the window at the Promise Tree. "For the sake of our family . . . our shattered happiness . . ."  
  
---  
  
Aeka entered the conference room/lounge -- the last person in. They looked up at her -- some in surprise, some in familiarity, and others in distaste.  
  
Or rather, another *one* in distaste -- only one person looked at her that loathingly.  
  
Ignoring Ryoko's look, she came in regally, and Tenchi got up. "Aeka-san!"  
  
"I'm glad to see that you arrived here safely, Tenchi-sama," Aeka said, smiling. "And Mihoshi-san as well." She lifted an eyebrow as she saw Washu and Kiyone -- how many years had it been? She herself had to suppress a sneer as she looked at Kiyone. "Hello," she said calmly.  
  
Kiyone did not return the look of contempt -- an almost guilty look was on her face, and Aeka suddenly felt guilty herself. "Hello, Aeka-san," she said softly. "It's been a while, hasn't it?"  
  
"I agree," Aeka said, and looked at Washu. "And you too, Washu-san."  
  
Washu gave a relaxed shrug. "Aeka-dono," she said as her way of greeting, nodding her head.  
  
Aeka's eyes briefly met Ryoko. The room felt it -- the lull in the conversation; the static. It hadn't been exactly a glare, but then again, it wasn't exactly friendship either. Ryo-ohhki, still in her girl form, rushed to hold Aeka's hand. Aeka sat on an elegant armchair nearby, with Ryo-ohki in her lap. "Why are we all here?" she asked. "I was told to come here."  
  
The others nodded, and Tenchi cleared his throat. "We have to get something clear, you guys," he said slowly. "We're finally together again -- since three years ago."  
  
"I don't have *time* for a sappy family reunion," Ryoko suddenly snapped, getting up from her chair. "I have things to do, people to see, places to go."  
  
"Sit down," Washu commanded.  
  
"You're not my *mother*," Ryoko spat hatefully. "What kind of mother are you? You should have kept your eye on me since my birth, you know. But your student steals me, and you probably couldn't care less because I was another one of your test tube subjects." The intensity in her voice grew. "And you took *sides* with Kiyone! When the GP came -- 'Yes, Ryoko-chan has been wild: it might be best for her if she resides in space for a bit.'"   
  
"I *never*!" Washu snapped back angrily. "Don't begin to imply false things without evidence!"  
  
"Quiet!" Katsuhito said sharply, and both women quieted down. The others looked in surprise in his direction. "I won't have this -- this quarreling. Pointless quarreling of the past. If you keep looking towards the past, you'll trip, and never be able to regain your footing. Now, we're here to clear things up. This is not a talk show about our feelings." His voice was curt.  
  
The others sat silently, and Tenchi threw a grateful look towards his grandfather. "We have to know the truth," he said wistfully. "I don't care if our family doesn't get back together after this -- you guys can all stay in space, and not ever come back to my home -- it doesn't really matter to me."   
  
No one missed the lapse in his speech, however.  
  
"We have to know what happened -- *I* want to know the truth," Tenchi pleaded.  
  
Aeka bit her lip. "Tenchi-sama . . ."  
  
"And so you shall," said a familiar voice.  
  
The others turned to the doorway, seeing Sasami smiling, amused.  
  
"Since this is my story and my family too, don't I get a chance?" she giggled.  
  
"Then let us hear it," Katsuhito deemed.  
  
---  
  
EPISODE TEASER:  
  
AEKA: I thought our problems would be solved once we were on Jurai -- just talk, but now we're going back through time . . . wondering what happened, where we went wrong.  
  
But Ryoko-san and I . . .  
  
Next time on Shattered Mirror: "The Mongoose and the Snake"!  
  
Tenchi-sama, who do you love?  
  
---  
  
AUTHOR's NOTES:  
  
Whew! Sorry for the delay, folks. This one took me a while. As this series progress, there will be less action like you saw -- now's the emotional stuff coming up. The next episode partly deals with lots of flashback -- confused readers now know what happened. And there's more Ryoko/Aeka friction: something that hasn't died since. Of course, I wouldn't call this your normal petty argument at first.  
  
The goddess part had to be thrown in -- I was tempted. ^_^ And Tokimi; well, I imagined her with the Touma Yumi voice and all and I saw her kind of arrogant [I haven't seen the original Tokimi to judge it, so I can't say]. Please note that the whole goddess thing might be different from what you understand in the OVA -- it's always unclear to the fans about this [and it'll be cleared in OVA3 anyway] so I just tossed that in for a good measure.  
  
Why does Sasami/Tsunami speak in riddles, I had a beta reader ask me. The fact is, I don't want Sasami/Tsunami saying, "Go help Ryoko and Aeka. Go help Mihoshi," etc. etc. That's very straightforward. [Or maybe I'm too into metaphorical stuff.]  
  
The title "Shattered Mirror" actually did come from Funaho and Misaki's lesson. ^^; If a bit cheesy, but I found it interesting. If somewhat odd . . .  
  
More of everyone's feelings [why Ryoko thinks Tenchi doesn't truly like her and so forth] is explained next. ^_^ Enjoy it.  
  
-- Emily "Mink" Koh  
July 11th, 2001  



	7. The Mongoose and the Snake

SHATTERED MIRROR  
Part 7: The Mongoose and the Snake  
by Emily "Mink" Koh  
  
***  
  
Three years ago from present day: Earth.  
  
"Ha~i! Today's dinner is Sasami's tonkatsu with special sauce!"  
  
The word "tonkatsu" had the family surround the table greedily. Tenchi came to the table, and noticed that Ryoko wasn't there -- nor was Kiyone -- and already, Aeka had looked up. Unlike Ryoko, she was concerned about everyone's whereabouts and did not quarrel over seating when Ryoko wasn't there. // Almost like she realizes it's a game of some sort, // Tenchi thought, stifling a smile.  
  
"Where's Ryoko?" he asked the same time she did, taking a seat near Sasami.  
  
"She and Kiyone went off to the mountains," Mihoshi answered, taking a sip of her water. "Kiyone wanted to 'talk.'"   
  
Washu lifted an eyebrow. "This should be interesting," she said. "I wonder if it's going to be a GP officer-slash-space pirate duel out there? If it is, I'm going to watch!"  
  
"Washu-san!" Tenchi said. "I . . . I don't think Kiyone-san would --" He paused, and facefaulted. "Well, Ryoko would."  
  
"My point exactly," Washu said.  
  
"What do you think they're doing together?" Aeka asked.  
  
"Maybe they're starting a new friendship!" Sasami said hopefully. "Not that Kiyone-oneechan and Ryoko-oneechan haven't been friends, but you know -- well, since they're both 'opposites,' maybe they're bonding?"  
  
"Somehow, I doubt that, if Ryoko's involved in this," Tenchi said uneasily.  
  
"Mou, that wild woman! She's probably going to murder Kiyone-san out there," Aeka fussed. "And what was Kiyone-san thinking, asking Ryoko-san to go out there with her?" She shook her head.  
  
Indeed, Kiyone was wondering the same thing herself.  
  
She had found a lofty hill nearby the mountain sides, and Ryoko was sprawled next to her, chewing on a blade of grass. Kiyone gnawed on her lower lip, trying to find the right words to say this to her. She didn't want Ryoko to panic.  
  
Noticing Kiyone's tense actions, Ryoko laughed. "What is this? A love confession?" she teased, poking the other woman. "Just so you know, I've got Tenchi." Then she arched an eyebrow curiously. "Unless you're telling me you're going to be a rival, too!" A smirk appeared on her lips.  
  
"No way," Kiyone said, grinning. "Are you kidding? Tenchi-san is who I think more of a little brother."  
  
"Let's hope so!" was all Ryoko said.  
  
More silence. "So what was it you wanted to tell me *all* the way out here?" Ryoko asked. "That was a long walk, you know!" She picked up a disgruntled Ryo-ohki by the scruff of her neck nearby. "And bringing her too!"  
  
Kiyone shifted uncomfortably. "Uh . . . well, this isn't 'bonding' or anything," she said quietly. "Please don't panic what I'm telling you next, okay? Promise me?"  
  
Ryoko scowled. "Just spit it out," she said impatiently.  
  
Kiyone pursed her lips. What should she say? 'By the way, some space pirates that you failed to pay back money to -- well, they've found our your locations somehow and they collectively are planning to hurt you and our family on Earth. Oh, and don't forget, the Galaxy Police finds this is the perfect opportunity to be after your tail, now that they also know about your whereabouts.'  
  
She sighed. She didn't know what Ryoko was going to -- stay on Earth? Their entire family try to fend off a bunch of vengeful space pirates *and* the Galaxy Police? That last part was what nagged Kiyone. Mihoshi, she realized, wouldn't care too much -- but Kiyone had split loyalties.   
  
She wondered if this was what it was like to be a spy -- have split loyalties. Her commanding officers had always told her that being on Earth, living with the Earthlings -- it was all part of a great scam, they told her. Great undercover act.  
  
But it had never been undercover. How could she explain this? Mihoshi had been on Earth for longer than she had -- it had been purely accidental on Kiyone's part that she had chased those criminals to Earth that fateful day. And then when her ship had needed repairs, GP had managed to relocate her as in charge of the Sol System patrols along with Mihoshi.  
  
That had been her career downfall -- but it had been the beginning of her new family. They had welcomed her in -- her, a stranger! -- so easily. Well, Kiyone had realized that if this boy -- Tenchi -- had other alien women living with him, he was probably used to the idea of more strangers. And he *had* confided in her that she was "the normal of the bunch," and Kiyone was satisfied with that remark [she had made no attempt to disagree either].  
  
"What is it?" Ryoko probed, sighing, bringing Kiyone back to reality. "Come on."  
  
"The truth is, Ryoko --"  
  
And then the whir of the spaceships came. In alarm, both of them stood up -- Ryoko in ignorance and impatience that Kiyone's interesting piece of news was being interrupted, and Kiyone in fear. She hoped at least it was the space pirates after Ryoko -- that would be the primary distraction that the Galaxy Police would be after.  
  
Luck, as she soon found out, was not on her side today.  
  
---  
  
Present day: Jurai.  
  
"Liar," was only what Ryoko murmured under her breath. "That is a *lie.* Two-faced backstabber."  
  
Everyone shifted uncomfortably, but didn't contradict her statement about Kiyone.  
  
// To save face? // Tenchi wondered morosely.  
  
"Sasami-chan," Kiyone suddenly blurted. "I have to know. Galaxy Police informed me that *you* were the one murdered." Unaware of the looks she was attracting to herself in the room, she kept going. "Why are you still here, then?"  
  
An audible gasp escaped from Aeka's lips, and others who had not been informed did a double-take at the young blue-haired princess.  
  
"That is not true," Sasami said slowly. "No one murdered me."  
  
"Well, of course not!" Aeka said indignantly. "Otherwise you wouldn't be here --"  
  
"I chose that path myself."  
  
A moment of confused silence roamed the room hungrily, picking at their souls. The silence was deafening -- and questions hung in the air. But no one spoke.  
  
Ryoko suddenly got up. "I . . . I need fresh air," she demanded curtly.  
  
"Ryoko!" Tenchi hissed. "Come on. Stop avoiding it."  
  
"Avoiding *what*, Tenchi? Don't make me the bad guy," she snapped angrily, and he was stunned by her statement. "You're just as guilty as anybody else here. We're *all* guilty. So don't act like the peacemaker." Ryoko's head felt like it was going to crack. Hateful words. She was yelling at her dear Tenchi --  
  
No. Tenchi was never her's, had *never* been her's to begin with.  
  
"There's a veranda across the hallway," Sasami said gently to Ryoko. "In that empty room." She gave a reassuring smile. "Just come back when you're feeling better, okay?"  
  
The space pirate left, then.  
  
And then someone stood up.   
  
"I'm going with her."  
  
---  
  
[Flashback]  
  
The ships scared Aeka. There were too many, she noted. The ship from Jurai, the Galaxy Police shuttles -- endlessly and countlessly piling on top of each other in the Masaki yard. She wanted to shut it all out: hadn't she left this world behind?  
  
"Hime-sama!" The familiarity of the voice scared her. Looking up, it was the same elder from the Jurain Council. "Your presence is required back on Jurai."  
  
So sudden, so unexpected. This was *not* how she was supposed to leave Earth. In fact, leaving Earth hadn't been one of her plans!  
  
Meanwhile, the Galaxy Police officers had were patting Kiyone on the back. Aeka frowned. Since when had Kiyone gotten back from her "walk" with Ryoko? And where was that devil woman anyway?  
  
"Your father is gravely ill. Both Funaho-sama and Misaki-sama requested that you come back and act on the behalf of your father."  
  
"Congratulations, Kiyone," one of the officers said. "Targeting Ryoko! We almost had her -- the other ships are going after her."  
  
"Why can't they act for themselves?" Aeka replied indignantly to the Council head -- a reply that cost her a look from her family, Tenchi's shock, and Sasami's shaken trust. She heard what the GP officers had said as well but it did not register in her mind completely.  
  
The head of the Council gritted his teeth. "It is their request that you return. I do not enclose details nor know the reasons," he replied staunchly.  
  
"I didn't!" Kiyone protested in the background. "I --"  
  
"We also nagged the space pirates that wanted her neck . . . so many catches!"  
  
"If it's a request, I don't have to follow it, right?" Aeka's voice was sharp. Where was this coming from? This was her duty! Kiyone's pleas fell on deaf ears to Aeka.  
  
"Oneesama!" Sasami's voice displayed her appalled state. "How can you say such a thing? You must go back -- *we* must go back! If Father's still in critical condition, someone must obey his requests." Her voice was pleading. Why was her sister being this way? So selfish?  
  
"Come on. You've got to get back to headquarters; Boss is very pleased."  
  
"Where's Ryoko-chan?" Washu's question was innocent.  
  
"I refuse to go back," Aeka said. Too many conversations. Her head was starting to spin, and she was slowly beginning to block everyone out.  
  
"Oneesama!" Sasami's shock was apparent. "You can't do this!"  
  
"I can too, Sasami. Okaasama can act on his behalf! I am . . . spoiled! She cannot expect me to do such work!" Aeka's voice was trembling. She didn't know this day would come this soon. So unexpected. They were going to take her away from her Tenchi -- her eyes fell on him, and he glanced at her: curious, confused.  
  
"Aeka-hime!" the Council head said sharply.  
  
"Fine. Oneesama." Sasami's voice had turned into a stranger's. Aeka stared at her sister, surprised. "If you're too *childish* to handle these responsibilities -- in such a situation! -- I'll go in your place." Her voice trembled too: but with anger, not the fear that Aeka held. "I'll act on your behalf -- or just as myself, in fact. You're not worthy if you don't care about Otousama and Jurai!"  
  
"I do!" Aeka's voice was adamant. "Sasami --"  
  
"There's nothing else to be said," Sasami said curtly. Tears were filling her eyes but she refused to let them spill. "Oneesama . . ." That plea was begging, but after that, she did not say anything else. "How soon must I leave?" she asked the head of the Council.  
  
"'Ryoko-chan'?" one of the GP officers snickered behind them. "Captured. Well, to-be, anyway! Thanks to Kiyone, we've managed to tag her down."  
  
"No! That's not true, that's --"  
  
Tenchi's voice chimed in with disbelief. "What?" he said quietly.   
  
"Tenchi-san! You know very well that's --"  
  
Aeka shut her eyes. She couldn't hear them anymore, they were a blend of voices.  
  
"As soon as we can. Tonight, if your time allows it," the Council head said gravely.  
  
Sasami's breath drew in deeply. "So soon?" she said sadly, but lifted her chin once more. "All right. Just give me a few hours."  
  
"Agreed."  
  
And as Sasami and the Council head entered the Masaki home, leaving a stunned Aeka, her ears finally heard what was said.  
  
"You did *what* to Ryoko-san?" she said softly to Kiyone.  
  
[End flashback.]  
---  
  
Ryoko leaned against the railing on the veranda. The breeze tickled her lightly, and she shut her eyes. How free she felt. Not chained to that false freedom they had given her in that room. In there, she was indebted to everyone: Tenchi, Sasami -- everyone.  
  
Throw in more bouts of misery, multiply that by one hundred, and that was how messed up Ryoko was feeling. Clenching her fists tightly, she bit fiercely on her lower lip. This wasn't fair. She had been cruising space leisurely for the past few years, attempting to escape the prying hands of the Galaxy Police. And now she got caught. And she ended up meeting her family. Irony, she decided, was cruel. Very cruel.  
  
As if seeing Tenchi's face wasn't enough, she'd end up seeing Sasami. And keep facing guilt. Over and over.   
  
Endless hateful guilt.  
  
"Ryoko-san."  
  
The voice was gentle, and yet it scared Ryoko to death. She whirled around, her lightsaber already formed in her hands -- held up to Aeka's neck. Her eyes widened in surprise; then turning gruff again, she made the saber disappear and leaned on the railing again, a tedious look on her face. "What is it?" she snapped airily.  
  
Aeka stood by her side, her hands twitching visibly by her side, but smiled forcefully. "Enjoying the air?" she said conversationally.  
  
"... Aeka?"  
  
"Yes?" Aeka's eyes lit with hope. Did Ryoko want to talk to her, too? Like she did?  
  
"Shut up."  
  
Her fiery tongue ready to lit out, Aeka complied willingly with Ryoko's request. Within the moments of silence, Ryoko lifted an eyebrow, studying her companion curiously. "Man, has my absence made you dull and dimwitted," she teased. "What happened to the same Aeka I fought?"  
  
Aeka smiled humorlessly. "She's managed to vanish -- along with you, Ryoko-san. The *real* you, which you chose to erase from our presence."  
  
A growl escaped from Ryoko's lips. "I wouldn't be talking," she said. "What happened to that princess I knew a long time ago that was so dedicated to her planet? And yet, when requested to come back for the sake of her people three years ago, she chickened out?"  
  
"I most certainly did not!" Aeka snapped back.  
  
Ryoko laughed. "Now there's the Aeka I know." She paused, then grinned wickedly. "And hate."  
  
A smile curled on Aeka's lips. "You certainly haven't changed there, Ryoko-san." Then her gaze hardened. "And I did not chicken out. I did it for --"  
  
"For what? Love?" Ryoko interrupted, her voice harsh. "Some love, Aeka. Selfish love."  
  
"Selfish?!" Aeka snapped, enraged. "Aren't you the one who's selfish? Always thinking of herself. Blowing up things. So careless. Causing so much worry to everyone -- you're a hazard to everyone's health! Don't you think we were all happy when you left?" Aeka no longer had held back. She wanted to tell this to Ryoko. Didn't she know that?  
  
". . . And you? Were you happy?" Ryoko had meant the question to be rhetorical, but had taken Aeka in surprise. Then Ryoko laughed cruelly. "I know -- you were afraid he was going to make you leave, too, didn't you? Thought that since everyone was leaving now, he'd become a normal teen -- just kick out this princess who's being a bother for him?"  
  
"I -- I wasn't a bother!" Aeka protested, but found herself stunned. A wave of tears blurred her vision, but she refused to let them fall. "And T-Tenchi-sama would never . . ." Her voice faltered -- there was her weakness.  
  
Ryoko laughed bitterly. "We all thought that. But who knows? Maybe he's just a weak guy. Maybe he just can't say 'no.'" She scowled, then chuckled weakly. "I was so pathetic. Hiding out for a few moments -- wondering if Tenchi would actually come out. Calling me back. Saying he would protect me."  
  
Her eyes narrowed. "No one came out of that house after Kiyone and Sasami left."  
  
A fresh wave of guilt washed over Aeka. "Ryo-Ryoko-san," she said weakly. "I . . . "  
  
"And Sasami?" Ryoko interrupted. She looked at Aeka's large pleading eyes, and grinned guiltily. "You wanted to know how she died? How she got *murdered*? By me?"  
  
"Stop it," Aeka said through clenched teeth. "You didn't murder her, Ryoko-san. We all believe that. Sasami even said so herself."   
  
But somewhere -- somewhere in her heart: she needed someone to blame. Because Aeka desperately needed a scapegoat. She didn't want unexplained problems.   
  
She needed someone to lift a finger at.  
  
There was she was: divided again. Jealous and Reasonable.  
  
"So here's me, trying to escape from the firing GP squadron," Ryoko continued in a very casual way, ignoring Aeka. "Yeah. I was careless. Sasami hadn't taken Ryo-ohki with her -- she hadn't even been *curious* about Ryo-ohki's whereabouts, if I'm correct, when she left for Jurai. Heck, I wouldn't know: I was hiding out." She narrowed her eyes. "And Ryo-ohki was still weary. Dodging this, dodging that. Really, losing her edge." She shrugged.  
  
"Of course, GP latches on a targeting monitor on the back of Ryo-ohki. And there's no point in escaping if we have that. So I go out and try to take it off Ryo-ohki. And wham -- someone fires me." She demonstrated with her fingers, making a gun symbol.  
  
"Did you get hurt? Badly?" Aeka asked calmly.  
  
Ryoko glanced at her. "Why? You wanted me dead instead, right?"  
  
"That's not true!" Aeka glowered at her. "We may be 'natural enemies,' Ryoko-san, but I am not heartless --"  
  
Ryoko waved her protests with a wave of her hand. "And I'm falling down. And you know, I survive these things 'cause I'm Ryoko. But I'm still too dizzy from what happened; too weak from *betrayal.*" Her voice was so jumbled up with sorrow and fear and anger that Aeka felt afraid herself. "And then I see her."  
  
"'Her'?" Aeka repeated quietly.  
  
"Tsunami. That goddess in flesh and blood," Ryoko drawled sharply. Holding me. Saying everything was all right. Too bright -- I didn't know where I was." She looked bored. "And then Tsunami turns into our dear Sasami. And I'm staring at her."  
  
That was when Aeka noticed the tears spilling down Ryoko's cheeks.  
  
"Do you want to know what she said to me?" Ryoko's voice was a whisper now. "Do you know what she said? 'You're worth all of this.'" Her voice choked momentarily. "'Even Tsunami understands my reasoning. Because you and I -- we're family.'"  
  
"She . . . merged?" Aeka said in disbelief.  
  
"For me!" Ryoko laughed harshly. "I guess that shocks you, doesn't it?"  
  
It took a moment for Aeka to collect herself. "That's not why," she said. "How . . .?"  
  
"She told me later that merging into Tsunami would give her a 'power boost.'" Ryoko blinked back a new wave of tears, and rubbed her previous tears away fiercely. "The only way to save me. But not her."  
  
Then she gave a weak chuckle. "Once, I thought I was the luckiest person in the world. The guy of my dreams right where I lived. Living with him and this great family -- if a bit crazy --" She glanced up and exchanged a rare moment of private humor and appreciation between Aeka in that second, "-- yet lovable. And now, I've managed to think that I'm the most unluckiest person in this world. The guy who I thought I loved obviously doesn't return my feelings. Sometimes, I thought he did -- he'd be so kind and caring. But I guess that she was just polite kindness." She paused. "My family splits up. Probably because of me. I feel like I caused it -- although I know I didn't for the Jurain legal/royal part," she said, grinning.  
  
"Ryoko-san . . ." Aeka felt so helpless. She was catering to Ryoko's soul, listening to her. She no longer felt jealous like she had moments ago. She hated Ryoko, but she cared about her too. She stifled a laugh. How ironic was that? The mongoose could not care for the snake.  
  
"Sasami did it for you," Aeka said softly, and continued before Ryoko could speak. "All of us would have done the same, had we the same power. Even me. Even though we fight all the time, I'm not sure if you realize how much... I care." That last line, she had to draw out forcefully. It was something she had never revealed: to your sworn enemies, you do not tell them that you are looking out for them.  
  
"Aeka . . ." It was Ryoko who was speechless now.  
  
"Ryoko-san." Aeka dredged up the last bits of her dignity, and sighed. "I have something I must tell you."  
  
"What?" Ryoko's eyes narrowed suspiciously.  
  
"There's a reason why Tenchi-sama didn't chase after you. Or anyone else."  
  
". . . What?" Ryoko crossed her arms. "What are you saying?"  
  
"You're right, I'm selfish." It was Aeka's voice that was tuned down to a whisper now. "Wh-When Tenchi-sama saw everyone was leaving -- when he heard *you* were being chased -- he wanted to leave." She swallowed nervously. "I was afraid I was going to lose him."  
  
Ryoko sat in stunned silence.  
  
Aeka forced herself to continue, and chuckled sadly between tears. "Do you realize how ironic this is?" she said softly. "I always used to think that love would never make me act mad; make me act vengeful. Crazy. I thought I was always the reasonable one; that you would always be the one who would be planning revenge should Tenchi-sama chose between one of us and it wouldn't be."  
  
At this, Ryoko sneered, and Aeka shrugged, smiling weakly and apologetically.  
  
"And while I was so scared about what was happening . . . I amplified my fear. For my benefit." The tears were streaming endlessly now, and she made no attempt to wipe them away. "And you know Tenchi-sama. So comforting. Indecisive. Weak-hearted. But too kind. Much too kind. And naive. And I used that to my advantage. So he couldn't go after anyone. So he could only see me." And then she stopped, turning pale.  
  
Ryoko blinked in disbelief, then looked at Aeka after a moment of recognition, piecing the pieces together.   
  
"I see," was all Ryoko said.  
  
Aeka did not deny her comment. The tears stopped, however, and she wiped them away now. She looked away. "I don't know what happened . . . I was so afraid. Losing everyone. I thought I'd lose Tenchi-sama if he went after you." She whirled and stared at Ryoko. "Did you know that he chose you a long time ago? It was so obvious." Her laugh was shrill. "But I hadn't given up hope for so long. But when he was so determined to go after you -- I wasn't sure what to do anymore."  
  
There was a long moment of silence.  
  
"Stop beating yourself up," Ryoko said slowly. She turned to face Aeka, an unreadable look in her eyes. "When people are in love, they do unpredictable things. I don't blame you." She paused. "But -- why do you think you've lost? The fight's never over. Isn't that what you and I always said?"  
  
She chuckled weakly. "We're so alike. But we don't know that. I didn't realize until moments ago. You may be a pricktease and I may be cool --" Aeka scowled at Ryoko's comment, but a smile tugged at the corners of her lips, "-- but I dunno, I guess we are pretty similar. We both vie for the same guy. We're unpredictable -- don't deny that, Aeka." Ryoko narrowed her eyes at that last comment.  
  
"I'm not," Aeka said softly, the smile coming fully to her face now. "But -- there's something different about both of us."  
  
"And what's that? I'm not a weakling?" Ryoko said sarcastically.  
  
Aeka let it pass. "One of us gave up righteously," she said calmly, ready to leave. "And the other one of us gave up for a stupid, silly reason," she said pointedly.  
  
Ryoko gave a "hmph," crossing her arms. "Yeah, well, what do you know?" she growled. Her voice became a whisper again. "He doesn't care."  
  
Aeka turned to leave, then tilted her head back a little bit.  
  
"Ryoko-san . . ."  
  
"What?" Ryoko said, exasperated. "More lecturing?"  
  
"He loves you, you know. Silly to give up a race that you're winning."  
  
With that, Aeka left.  
  
---  
  
Tenchi arched an eyebrow as Aeka entered the room again. She was a mess: tearstained face, an unreadable look etched on her face. But she smiled at them. "Ryoko-san is fine now," she reported to them softly.  
  
He quivered for a moment. Who was Ryoko mad at? Him? Sasami? It didn't matter, she needed to talk to someone, anyone --  
  
"I should go talk to her," he said guiltily, getting up.  
  
Aeka shook her head. "It's best to leave her alone now, Tenchi-sama."   
  
Her eyes said something else, however.  
  
And I don't do this out of jealousy. Please know this . . .  
  
There was a look of defeat in her eyes, and it made Tenchi feel even more guilty. But he didn't say anything about it. He simply responded with his own gentle look:  
  
Thank you.  
  
"All right," was what he said aloud, sitting back down uncomfortably.  
  
"Oneesama, we were just finishing up the details. Of what we didn't know," Sasami said to her sister calmly. "Anything to contribute? Or to hear?"  
  
"I think I've heard just about enough," was Aeka's whispery response, smiling weakly. The look she exchanged with Tenchi was unmistakably private. "And there is nothing more I need to discuss."  
  
"Well." Sasami got up. "Since we have cleared just about everything up, why don't I find a suitable ship for your journey back home? A separate ship for most of you, I'm assuming." Her voice was not accusing. "Galaxy Police Headquarters for Kiyone-oneechan. A private jet for Washu-oneechan to her hideout." Sasami smiled at this. "Special treatment for Ryo-ohki so she can heal and take Ryoko-oneechan. And Earth for Mihoshi-oneechan and Oneesama."  
  
"I don't think I'm returning to Earth," Aeka interjected.  
  
Everyone stared at her.  
  
"What?" Mihoshi said. "But Aeka-san --"  
  
"Aeka-san . . . what? Why?" Tenchi said in shock.  
  
Aeka smiled. "It's probably for the better. My duties are here."  
  
No one could argue with that fact.  
  
Except Ryoko.  
  
"Bakayaro," she snapped, entering the room. "You're going back to Earth."  
  
---  
  
EPISODE TEASER:  
  
Ryoko: Washu tries to fix Kiyone and Mihoshi's problems in a jiffy, and Sasami and Ryo-ohki have a hell of a bonding time.  
  
And me? I get to live in a hell of a love triangle . . . that gets worse by the minute.  
  
Next time on Shattered Mirror: "A Bird, Chains, and Mistakes."  
  
Tenchi -- what are you trying to tell Aeka and me?  
  
---  
  
AUTHOR's NOTES:  
  
Whew. _ This was another killer. Fact 1: Writing R/A scenes are hard, esp. when they are OOC. Why? Purposely. Three years did change a lot in these characters after their hardships and circumstances they've faced. Hence the OOC sentimental-esque scene between the two [no flames, please]. I actually wanted to throw in a catfight, but I thought it'd be a nice change from most R/A scenes where they beat each other up. ;)  
  
Washu does more meddling in the next part [I guess the R/A part is where she does the least meddling]. Next chapter may be huge. : You've been warned.  
  
Side notes:  
  
- Italics don't work for Fanfiction.net for me [however you do it] so I had to use the flashback liners. Looks better in Italics so it doesn't interrupt flow, but... *shrugs*  
  
- Tonkatsu is Japanese pork cutlets. Really good. Go to Tonki -- great tonkatsu restaurant in Tokyo. :)  
  
- What is this thing that Aeka confesses to Ryoko? That's the glory of this story: that's a mystery. The reader decides what Aeka did back on Earth to prevent Tenchi from chasing everyone. ^_^; [Hey, she obviously didn't kill the poor guy since he's still there -- or is that a guy in disguise?! Heh, just kidding.]  
  
- "Bakayaro" is equivalent to "idiot."  
  
More bonding next time, as always. : Don't kill me for this chapter if you're either an R or A fan. What you should know: I don't hate Aeka. She's growing more and more to be on my favorites list [I didn't like her too much until a while ago!]. And I don't hate Ryoko either. ;P The evil truth is that I hate Tenchi, that coward -- but that's another story [neither of them deserve him -- all I'm saying is that I'm glad that the "El Hazard" guy actually chose out of his harem, heh].  
  
-- Emily Koh, July 15, 2001  



	8. The Bird, Chains, and Mistakes

SHATTERED MIRROR  
Part 8: The Bird, Chains, and Mistakes  
by Emily Koh  
  
--  
  
DISCLAIMER: "Tenchi Muyo! Ryo-ohki" is (c) 1992, AIC and Pioneer Ltd. I don't own it. "Shattered Mirror" is (c) 2000-2001, Emily "Mink" Koh (mink249@aol.com). Do not repost elsewhere without permission.  
  
Sponsored by caffeine, Orikasa Ai CDs, and by crappy text programs. :)  
  
---  
  
"So, Kiyone-dono. Who did you say your partner was?"  
  
"Mari. Amanogawa Mari," Kiyone replied grimly to the red-haired scientist. "And yes, she constantly gets cracks about her name."  
  
"One would assume." Washu cleared her throat.  
  
She and Kiyone had followed Sasami eagerly to be dispatched on the ships that she would lend them to their locations. Tenchi had decided that he would leave after everything had been sorted out, and Washu didn't blame him: he needed some time to figure out the mess that he had unconsciously created.   
  
// Simply by being the charming person he is -- what a shame, // she thought, and felt a twinge of sympathy for him. Well, at least he wasn't a womanizer -- he was just a human chick magnet. She chuckled at the idea, and to this day, she couldn't find out what was so charming about Tenchi anyway.  
  
In truth, Washu hadn't planned on leaving: and this was a decoy, she realized. She knew that Sasami knew too. Her plan was to interrogate Kiyone. What had that riddle been? Oh, yes.  
  
// "Capture the bird that constantly flees -- and break all the handcuffs that she is chained within. " //  
  
Well, obviously, the imminent connection to "handcuffs" had led Washu to believe that this "bird" was either Mihoshi or Kiyone, both of them being Galaxy Police officers. And the description fit Kiyone perfectly: Kiyone was always trying to escape things; the craziness of her home, Mihoshi's carelessness -- everything that was abnormal in her life. She was still trying to work out the handcuffs part.  
  
She scowled. She /hated/ riddles. After this was done, she was going to have a long chat with Sasami about riddles.  
  
Washu scratched her head. Funny. She couldn't remember how she had gotten the riddles. Through Sasami, yes -- but how had Sasami known about the situation? It confused her, and she felt like there was a hole in her memory. Nevertheless, she knew it was for a good reason, and didn't probe the subject any further.  
  
"Where is Sasami-chan?" Kiyone said impatiently, tapping her foot. "Headquarters must be getting really worried about where I am." She paused, and looked at Washu curiously from the corner of her eye.  
  
" . . . Uh, sorry we kidnapped you?" Washu said, shrugging. "Besides, it was necessary."  
  
"Necessary?" Kiyone scoffed. "For what? This big happy family reunion?"  
  
"Certainly!" Washu piped up.  
  
"Real happy, I'd say. Yeah, we really hit it off," Kiyone said, frowning. "Are you totally blind to what's happening, Washu-san? Our family's foundation has crumbled."  
  
"The foundation to our family was trust," Washu said through gritted teeth. "And our love for each other. Somehow, all of us lost our perception of those two words, and got all jumbled up. That is what happened."  
  
Kiyone sat silently, and Washu wanted to kick herself. She wasn't supposed to be lecturing Kiyone! She was supposed to be solving this damn riddle that Sasami had given her, and get this over and done with --  
  
// I'm sounding like Kiyone-dono myself. Listen to me, trying to get things done and over with. I don't want to deal with the mess, either. None of us do. //  
  
She sighed.   
  
// Someone has got to do the dirty work. And if everyone else is chickening out... then it's a job for Washu-chan! // she thought with her trademark vigor.  
  
"So, Kiyone-dono," Washu said leisurely. "While we're waiting for Sasami to fix and pick out those ships for our departures, how about we talk?" Seeing Kiyone's confused face, she said calmly, "Well, I'm guessing we're not going to see each other again. For a while anyway." She cackled appropriately.  
  
Kiyone frowned. "Sure, why not," she murmured in a dull voice, obviously not interested. "Throw anything at me."  
  
Washu racked her brain. She hadn't been expecting this sort of response: she had thought that Kiyone would at least give her a clue about what her "handcuffs" were. Something that Kiyone wanted to break free from. Something that would --  
  
"What? You want to talk about Mihoshi, right?" Kiyone said, after a long sigh.  
  
Washu nearly snapped her fingers. "That's it! Of course!" she said, and seeing Kiyone's odd look, she laughed it off. "Eh... yes, anyway, about Mihoshi-dono."  
  
"I don't hate her, Washu-san," Kiyone said softly. "I don't know if she knows that. I don't know if anyone else knows that."  
  
The red-haired scientist bit her lip. "We know you don't hate her. Or anyone else. But... you've been pretty cold to her. It's not like she did anything in the past to you. In fact, I think Mihoshi-san is the only person who wasn't effected in the past that much. I mean, Aeka-dono and Sasami-chan got affected of the Jurain rule ordeal. Ryoko-chan and you got involved in this because of the whole GP legal thing. Me? I'm Ryoko-chan's mother, thus explaining my role. Tenchi-dono is connected to /all/ of us, so there's where he comes in. But what about Mihoshi-dono? No... we've pretty much ignored her."  
  
"But that's where you're wrong! All of you are -- don't you see?" Kiyone said, frustrated. "She's effected too! Because she's touched us all. Mihoshi -- well, Mihoshi is very happy-go-lucky. We all know that. And... I don't think she's experienced true loss. I've managed to shatter that family image that she has always desired."  
  
"Kiyone-dono..."  
  
"Did you know that she was raised by her grandparents? She didn't know her real parents. Her grandfather was the chief of the Galaxy Police. But since he was away so much, she didn't spend time with him often -- when she did, it was not enough. And her grandmother got sick early in her life. Currently in a coma -- and Mihoshi can't bear to visit her."  
  
Washu gazed at Kiyone sympathetically. Kiyone carried Mihoshi's life, too. She had to look out of Mihoshi, she had to act on behalf for her, make sure she didn't get in trouble --  
  
It suddenly began to click. "Ah," Washu said softly.  
  
"What's 'ah'?" Kiyone said suspiciously, looking up from her own nostalgia.  
  
Washu paused, unsure how to say it, but decided to take a stab at it anyway.  
  
"Why do you carry Mihoshi-dono's burdens?"  
  
Kiyone scowled almost immediately. "It's not like I have a choice," she protested angrily. "That girl is going to get herself killed. She worries about her parents, she's always --"  
  
"You care about her very much, don't you?" Washu interrupted softly.  
  
Kiyone sat, stunned. "I... I...," she stammered.  
  
"But... it doesn't mean you should look out for her 24/7. Granted, Mihoshi-dono should be watched -- but the rest of us has always thought of you as 'Mihoshi-dono's babysitter.'" Washu pursed her lips. "We haven't given any other thought to you otherwise -- who else has the guts to watch over Mihoshi-dono, anyway?"  
  
The two chuckled weakly. "But... don't force yourself to watch over her. Mihoshi-dono is an adult; she just has her rather clumsy results." Washu made a face. "But... we should all look out of her her. But don't sweat it because she's /very/ lucky," Washu said, facefaulting. "It's a wonder she hasn't gotten killed now."  
  
"True," Kiyone said, smiling.  
  
Silence swarmed the area, and Washu thought hard. What was another "handcuff"? Something that made Kiyone guilty, she assumed. Something that she was chained to and couldn't escape at the moment --  
  
"Kiyone?"   
  
A timid voice greeted them as Mihoshi walked in nervously. "Kiyone, don't go! Come back with us to Earth -- you too, Washu-san! We can get our family back; we can all live happily ever after --"  
  
"Our life wasn't a fairy tale. So no 'happily ever after's,'" Kiyone nearly snapped.  
  
Determined, Mihoshi shook her head. "It /was/ a fairy tale! But every... every tale has its problems. And it gets resolved at the end. So we can all go back --"  
  
"Not to the way it was," Kiyone growled.  
  
Washu got up, clearing her throat. "Well. You know what, I think I'm going to wait... a bit. Until Sasami gets my ship. It'll be pointless to be waiting here -- and who knows, maybe I will change my mind," she winked at Mihoshi.  
  
She turned to leave, then tilted her head back. "Oh, and Kiyone-dono."  
  
"Yes?"  
  
"We all know you didn't do it. And... Ryoko-chan knows that. She's just hardheaded." With that, Washu stifled a chuckle and left the room, leaving Kiyone and Mihoshi together.  
  
---  
  
Ryo-ohki peered her head in the room. Sasami-chan, she noted, as not here. Where was her friend? It was only Kiyone and Mihoshi. Heaving a sigh, she cutely scratched her head and stepped out of the room, pondering where the blue-haired princess had vanished to.  
  
Back in the lounge room just moments ago, Tenchi had suggested that Ryo-ohki go and find Sasami and maybe catch up. Of course, Ryo-ohki was aware that it was a plan to get both Ryoko and Aeka alone so he could talk with them. She facefaulted, thinking of all the ways that Tenchi could hurt himself in that situation, and considered going back.  
  
Then she couldn't see.  
  
"Miyaaaa---!" she screeched in alarm, flailing wildly.  
  
Behind her, Sasami carefully removed her hands from the cabbit's eyes, and smiled. "You had to guess who it was!" she said childishly, smiling. Her tone seemed so odd, coming out of a young woman like her. The transformation scared Ryo-ohki. Where was the little girl who had been her playmate? She drew back.  
  
A hurt look passed on Sasami's face. "Ryo-chan?" she said softly, then understood. "I see." She bit her lip. "It's still me, Ryo-chan. I just look different -- but I'm still the same underneath. Tsunami and I... just because we merged doesn't mean I'm gone."  
  
Ryo-ohki was not convinced, and she cast her eyes down. From what she knew, Tsunami was a goddess. She had to pay proper respect to her -- whether she was with Sasami or not. Ryoko had always sneered about Tsunami, but hadn't it been Tsunami who had saved Ryoko's life? Or had it been Sasami? Frustrated, she clasped her head.  
  
Sasami crouched to Ryo-ohki's height; her voice begging, coaxing. "Ryo-chan," she said softly, "please? We're still friends, aren't we?"  
  
"Miya." The reply was adamant and questioning: "Are we?"  
  
The princess shifted uncomfortably; a guilty look on her face. "I know... I know that... that I didn't give you a second thought when I left Earth. But by then, you were already gone with Ryoko-oneechan -- I would have loved to take you back with me! Or at least say goodbye."  
  
"Miya miya miya!" Ryo-ohki said rather sharply: "We met when you saved Ryoko!"  
  
"That's true..." Sasami sighed. "But I was being selfish."  
  
Ryo-ohki blinked. Selfish? She hadn't thought that would count into the equation...  
  
Her friend laughed humorlessly. "You know, when I told Oneesama I'd take her place here, I thought I was seriously doing it for the right thing. But... me? I just wanted to stop being the girl that everyone thought of as the 'cheerful girl.' Everyone came to me with their problems. 'Oh, Sasami-chan, what should I do?' Always thinking I'm smiling. But underneath that smile... there's so much more!"  
  
Ryo-ohki frowned. "Miya?"  
  
"Yes." Sasami paused. "Like being out of Oneesama's shadow. I want to be known other than being 'Princess Aeka's little sister,' or 'the Masaki household's superb chef.' I want a new identity. My real self."  
  
She sighed, then looked at Ryo-ohki. "You're the only one I trust with this, Ryo-chan. I don't consider anyone else as good as a friend you are. You and I -- we understand each other. We don't need words or anything: we just know what's going on. Right?" She smiled sadly. "Dakara..."  
  
Ryo-ohki studied her. // Sasami-chan is Sasami-chan, // she thought. // It doesn't matter if she looks like a goddess... //  
  
She embraced her friend tightly.  
  
---  
  
"I'm taking a walk," Ryoko announced curtly to the near-empty room.  
  
"I'll come!" Tenchi offered quickly, getting up. And then he bit his lip, quickly checking with Aeka. She smiled sadly, nodding her consent, and he felt guilty. But Ryoko saved him.  
  
"No, Tenchi. You're staying here," she said tightly. "I'm going to take a walk by /myself/."  
  
"But -- we need to talk --"  
  
"We'll talk when I get back," Ryoko said. "Not now."  
  
Something in her voice made him stop, and he watched her walk out of the conference room quickly. He sighed, and sat by Aeka. "Aeka-san... I... um..." He scratched his head. "This may not be the best time to tell you."  
  
The princess looked up curiously at him. "What? That you chose between us?" she said calmly, as if he was stating the weather.  
  
Tenchi blinked. "Uh... yeah. How did you know?"  
  
"Let's just say I have a knack for finding these things out," Aeka said simply, and she gave him a half-smile. "But... you don't need to tell me." She paused. "Isn't it obvious?"  
  
Tenchi flushed. "I... uh..." He groped for some words to come at, but couldn't think of any, and silently cursed at himself. // Dammit, Tenchi! Why are you so uptight around women? Especially now? You've lived with them long enough... //  
  
"And you don't have to apologize," Aeka said softly. "Maybe I should."  
  
// Huh? //   
  
"For what?" Tenchi said in surprise.  
  
"For being a burden. Staying at your home. Demanding that you pick between Ryoko-san and I," she murmured. "All this strain on you. All this pressure. And to think... I knew who you loved since a long time ago. And yet I kept fighting; thinking I had a chance. But... now I know. Love... love is so --" Her voice caught in her throat abruptly.  
  
Tenchi took her hand, grasping it reassuringly. "It's okay," he said softly.  
  
"That love...," Aeka tried to continue, and cleared her throat. She was /not/ going to cry in front of him. "Love. Well, once there's true love -- you can't change that. I was so silly, not knowing that. Kept trying, when I knew the real results." Her eyes gently met with Tenchi's and she broke away quickly. "That... that day... when you and I -- well, when everyone left Earth --"  
  
Tenchi blushed. "We weren't thinking," he said quickly.  
  
"You're right. We weren't -- and that wasn't love. That was a selfish, immature thing for me to do. You did nothing wrong," Aeka said quietly. "And I guess... I'll never know real love."  
  
"That's not true!" Tenchi protested. "What you had for me --" Here, he flushed again, "-- wasn't that love? Real love?"  
  
"Yes, but..."  
  
"Just because it wasn't reciprocated doesn't mean your feelings weren't real love... does it? I know how much you cared, Aeka-san. I'll never forget it," he told her. "But you shouldn't give up on finding love."  
  
Aeka smiled. "Never."  
  
---  
  
"Please don't go."  
  
Mihoshi's voice was coaxing, begging, pleading. Kiyone couldn't bear to look at her -- she knew that if she did, her mind would be changed. Mihoshi was like a stray puppy, begging to be bought. Kiyone was the naive person who would let herself be fooled by this act.  
  
She wasn't going back. She /couldn't/ go back.  
  
"How can I go back?" she demanded. "After what I did? How can I live with myself? How can you live with me, knowing that I did it?"  
  
"Is that what you believe?" Mihoshi responded quietly. "Do you really believe that you handed Ryoko-san in?"  
  
"No! Wait... yes. Wait." Kiyone kneaded her throbbing temples. /Did/ she believe that? Had she really done it? No! She had tried to protect Ryoko --  
  
"Kiyone... no one believes you did that to Ryoko-san." She paused. "I don't think Ryoko-san believes that either."  
  
"Oh, yeah? That explains why she's after my neck," Kiyone said sarcastically.  
  
"We all need someone to blame!" Mihoshi wailed. "And... no one said we wanted to turn to you. It's just a natural response, I guess." She shrugged. "But I /never/ doubted you for a second, Kiyone! We're partners! I know you inside and out."  
  
"You know /me/?" Kiyone scoffed, but a smile played on her lips. "I thought you were either too busy watching silly TV shows or pigging on food that you wouldn't notice anything about me except that I'd drag you around nad make sure you did your job or that you didn't get killed."  
  
"Well, I /know/ you hate tardiness," Mihoshi piped. "And... you can't stand my TV shows. And you love promotions."  
  
Kiyone grinned. "Well, that's true."  
  
"You think of Tenchi-san as your little brother. Sometimes, you think you're like the only normal one in our family and you think you're the 'oldest sister,' making sure her siblings don't do something crazy and stupid."  
  
Kiyone blinked. "I never told you that," she said, surprised.  
  
"I /know/ so. See?" Mihoshi said smugly. "I know you, Kiyone! And I /know/ you didn't do what it looks like you did. Sometimes, you act like promotions are the most important thing in the world --"  
  
"But I learned," Kiyone interrupted softly. "When I came to live with you guys on Earth."  
  
"Sou," Mihoshi agreed. "Dakara... ikanaide. Please don't go. I... we... we all miss you. And Ryoko-san. And Washu-san. And Sasami-chan. Come back! It's not the same."  
  
"No one thinks I did it -- but I do," Kiyone interjected. "So how does that work out, huh? I'll live with the guilt for the rest of my life."  
  
"But you tried to save Ryoko-san," Mihoshi pointed out. "Right? And... maybe you just weren't lucky at that time. Everything's meant to happen for a reason -- that's what my Obaachan used to say."  
  
"'Happen for a reason,' huh?" Kiyone repeated. "Hmm..."  
  
"So please. Just stay with us on Earth," Mihoshi said.  
  
"But what about Mari?" Kiyone pointed out. "She got hurt by Ryoko --"  
  
Mistake.  
  
Mihoshi looked away, cringing. "I'm sorry," she said. "I'm being so selfish. I forgot you established a new life. Here, in space. A new partner, a great job... and I'm just trying to ruin it for you. I always do." She sighed, getting up. "I'm sorry... I even said anything." Hands in her pockets, Mihoshi stepped out of the room.  
  
"Wait, Mihoshi --"  
  
Defeated, Kiyone sighed, putting her head in her hands. // No one thinks I did... but I know. But is Mihoshi right? Is that klutz right for once? // She scowled darkly, then sighed. // But I... I want to go back. I miss everyone. I still care about them all -- even Ryoko-san. I thought she was the enemy... but she isn't. //  
  
// "Feelings last for a while, but not forever, Kiyone. You're clinging to your past. What good will that do to you? You're hoping for some miracle? Fine, then take action!" //  
  
Mari's words rang in her head, from back on their ship earlier.  
  
// Sou. Nothing will happen if I don't take action... and feelings don't last for a while. They're always there -- they may change, but they don't vanish! // Kiyone thought grimly.  
  
// "You're hoping for some miracle? Fine, then take action!" //  
  
// Action...? //  
  
// "Then take action!" //  
  
Kiyone got up, and begin to run after Mihoshi.  
  
// Clinging to a past... it'll do me no good just sitting here, waiting to be invited back. I have to do something... make up for it. Try to create a miracle. //  
  
---  
  
Ryoko sighed, walking back towards the conference room, a scowl on her face. She had tried to get into some isolated room and sit by herself but Jurain guards seemed to be just about everywhere and studying her suspiciously. She had guaranteed them that if she wanted to try to kill the royal family, she would have done so already, and that certainly hadn't pleased them, and she smirked at the memory.  
  
"Ara, Ryoko-chan."  
  
She cringed at the voice, and stopped, not turning around. "What is it?" she asked in a very exasperated tone of voice.  
  
"I was hoping to find you here."  
  
The red scientist bounded up by Ryoko, keeping up with her pace. "And I thought you were talking with Tenchi-dono and Aeka-dono?"  
  
"Those two?" Ryoko scoffed. "They're probably --" Her fists clenched up tightly, and froze in the hallway. Washu stopped ahead of her, looking back curiously. "Nothing," Ryoko finished with a sigh. "Nothing."  
  
Washu sighed. // Well, if talking isn't the way in... //  
  
They walked together in silence, going back to the conference room.  
  
Soooo... I see. You think Tenchi-dono picked Aeka-dono, Washu prodded in Ryoko's mind. Her daughter stopped again, her eyes bugging out, ready to kill the short person next to her, and simply clenched her jaw, refusing to cooperate.  
  
Get out of my head, she snapped back.  
  
Oh? You think I'm going to leave *that* easily? Washu said sternly. Without even a 'bye' to your dear mama, you leave Earth. Tsk, tsk.  
  
My *MAMA*? Ryoko nearly roared in Washu's head, and she winced. You must be joking. Let me count the ways -- I'm the result of a test tube subject. You're so reckless that I get kidnapped by your own student and I'm used as a murder machine. And let's face it, you haven't exactly "helped" me out on Earth, either. And when I tried to contact you from my ship, you're obviously "not available."  
  
... What do you mean, tried to contact me? Washu suddenly inquired.  
  
"Forget it," Ryoko said out loud, standing outside the conference room, having arrived.  
  
"No. Tell me. I'm curious."  
  
"I said, 'forget it,'" Ryoko snapped, obviously regretting that she had brought it up. She opened the door to the conference room slightly, and was visibly upset to see that Tenchi and Aeka were still talking, but made no move.  
  
"... and Aeka-san, I love you --"  
  
// ... ?! //  
  
"Ryo-Ryoko-chan?!" Washu called after her daughter as Ryoko teleported out of sight.  
  
Startled by Washu's voice, both Tenchi and Aeka quickly rose to their feet. "Wa-Washu-san?!" Tenchi asked. "What's wrong?!"  
  
Aeka swallowed tightly.  
  
// This is for the best -- there is always a winner and a loser. //  
  
"Tenchi-sama," she said softly, "I think Ryoko-san heard us -- but it's better if you go talk to her," she said quietly. "Today. Not later. Now."  
  
Tenchi stared at her for a long moment -- almost guiltily.  
  
"Don't feel guilty," Aeka said calmly. "Remember... we both drove you up to it."  
  
Tenchi swallowed. "Demo..."  
  
Aeka shook her head, taking Tenchi's hand reassuringly.   
  
"It's for the best."  
  
---  
  
EPISODE TEASER:  
  
Tenchi: Somehow, we're not as hostile anymore. Mihoshi-san and Kiyone-san seem to have found out their differences. And it looks like we've been able to solve this huge mystery. But what will happen to our family now...?  
  
Next time, on Shattered Mirror: "Goodbye Forever."  
  
Ryoko, ore wa...  
  
---  
  
AUTHOR's NOTES:  
  
The fact is, this is the one chapter I'm really displeased with -- you may think otherwise, but I've lately been cowering in this writer's block period. _; Have been, for that matter. Excuse the shoujo-esque stuff you might sense in this entire chapter; I've been working on several "Sakura Taisen" fanfics and influences may have carried over.  
  
I personally thought the scene changes were abrupt and not fluid. Or that may just be me... shrug You can see it any way you like. All I'm trying to do is attempting to get near the conclusion! ^^; And more of the emotional bonding stuff next, too.  
  
What I hate is how Tenchi says, "I picked (insert girl's name here)." Personally, I agree with what Orikasa Ai said in her interview: "I think Tenchi should end up with Sasami because she would make him the happiest (^_^)." He'd be bound into strange Jurain customs with Aeka and his life expectancy would be lowered around Ryoko. So of course there's a drawback. :D But here's the hint: no, he doesn't pick Sasami in "Shattered Mirror." ^_^;  
  
Next chapter may be delayed a bit, as I am concentrating on Sakura Taisen fanfics for the moment.  
  
Side notes:  
  
- "Amanogawa Mari": Eh, more or less tedious wordplay. The word "amanogawa" means "Milky Way."  
  
- Mihoshi's grandma: I'm taking the manga storyline for this one. Found in volume 11 or so, I believe.  
  
- dakara ikanaiade: "Dakara" means "so" or "because." "ikanaide" means "don't go."  
  
- Mari's saying: Please refer to chapter 2/3/4 for this. [Can't remember which...]  
  
  
Mata ne!  
  
-- Emily Koh  
July 19, 2001 


	9. Goodbye Forever

SHATTERED MIRROR  
Part 9: Goodbye Forever  
by Emily "Mink" Koh  
  
---  
  
DISCLAIMER: "Tenchi Muyo! Ryo-ohki" is (c) 1992, AIC and Pioneer   
Ltd. I don't own it. "Shattered Mirror" is (c) 2000-2001, Emily "Mink"   
Koh (mink249@aol.com). Do not repost elsewhere without permission.  
  
Sponsored by caffeine, Winamp, and Orikasa Ai CDs. :  
  
---  
  
"Ah-ha. So this is where you're hiding out."  
  
Amber eyes darted suspiciously to Kiyone in the doorway of the empty   
guest room. "I didn't know you had the blueprints to the Jurain palace   
with you," Kiyone mumured calmly, and paused.  
  
"How did you find me?" Ryoko growled. She was in the corner of the  
guest room, immersed in the shadows, and refused to come out.  
  
// How typical of a guilty person, // Kiyone thought to herself quietly.  
// Or of someone in pain... the only recluse. // She smiled at herself  
and said out loud, "After all, I /am/ a Galaxy Police officer, aren't I?  
I'm supposed to have a knack for these things." She paused. "And  
besides, it would probably help that you and Ryo-chan are linked."  
  
"... That little /rat/," Ryoko said hatefully. "She'd --"  
  
"If you're worried about her ratting out your location, you needn't  
worry," Kiyone said coolly, taking a seat on a nearby chair. "Why  
don't you come out here and we can talk? Besides, Ryo-chan   
promised me she wouldn't give out your location to anyone else  
besides me."  
  
"What are you, my psychologist?" Ryoko's voice was become   
closer to a dangerous threatening tone but Kiyone didn't flinch.  
  
"I just want to talk. Together. About what happened --"  
  
"Forget it. And now, why don't you be a good little police officer  
and tell me who sent you here to find me? I expected to see Washu  
trailing me, or Aeka, or even that moronic Terran boy."  
  
Taken aback, Kiyone blinked. "'Moronic Terran boy'? Now there's  
a new nickname for Tenchi-kun... since when did you become so  
bitter about him? I thought you and Aeka-san were always drooling  
over him --"  
  
"*Were*, Kiyone. That's the keyword here," Ryoko said darkly. "I  
guess Tenchi finally found the one he wants in his life, and I'm not in  
it. I'll leave it at that for you."  
  
Kiyone's tone became crisp. "No one sent me here, for the record.  
I came here of my free will -- can't we just talk about what happened?  
I just want to explain --"  
  
"There is NOTHING to explain!" Ryoko shrilled. "Why don't you  
get that? What happened, happened! You can't change that!"  
  
"... I didn't do it," Kiyone whispered to herself, and her voice grew  
louder. "I didn't do it, Ryoko, I swear... you probably don't believe me  
and I understand that. But... just hear me out. This is the honest  
truth -- I never meant to do it."  
  
There was silence on Ryoko's part, and Kiyone continued.  
  
"I was notified by the Galaxy Police that a local space pirate gang's  
hideout was discovered. And according to what they pieced together  
through the items there and bartenders, the gang wanted *your*   
hide. You apparently were indebted to them."  
  
"Ah. Yoroshiku's gang," came a murmur from the shadows.  
  
"They somehow found out your location -- Earth. And they also  
knew that you were residing with Terrans... their plan was to take  
a hostage, make you pay. Start a battle. All that fun stuff," Kiyone  
said sarcastically. "The GP took the chance to actually find out  
your location and the search for Ryoko -- which had been dropped  
for quite a while -- had been rekindled.  
  
"I found out once my boss informed me about it. He told me to   
keep an eye out for Ryoko, and what could I say? 'Yes sir, she  
and I live together now, and I'm sorry, but I can't arrest her'?" She  
sighed. "And here, he was promising me a huge promotion.  
First one to nail her got a hefty reward and a status promotion  
by quite a lot."  
  
"So you went for the promotion, then." It wasn't a question.  
  
Kiyone ignored her comment. "Please understand... before coming  
to Earth and joining this... this 'Tenchi family,' the GP was my life's  
work. Everything I had was on it -- my success, my failures. It  
was basically my foundation for sustaining this tedious life.  
  
"And then, I came to Earth. And everyday was like... this amazing  
Christmas or something -- there was always something exciting or  
dangerous happening. Bad for the health, I guess," she chuckled  
lightly. "And I finally learned the meaning of 'family.'"  
  
Kiyone gave a sigh, and a lengthy pause before going on. "I took  
you up to the mountains to warn you. Give you a clearance from  
the area so you could take off with Ryo-chan, hide out in space or  
somewhere else until the danger passed. That's why I asked you  
to bring Ryo-chan with you."  
  
"..."  
  
"But the GP already zeroed in on you -- they had captured this  
gang right before they entered the Earth's atmosphere, and the  
gang themselves ratted out your location so that you'd be with  
them in jail, too."  
  
"Yoroshiku always was a pain in the ass," Ryoko said calmly.  
  
"Is that all you're thinking about?" Kiyone said, exasperated.  
"Did you hear anything I said except the ending?"  
  
No response.  
  
Kiyone leaned back into the chair, closing her eyes. Okay, so a  
talk with Ryoko hadn't exactly awakened old friendships as she  
had expected. What had she been thinking? After all, this was  
*Ryoko* she was talking to.  
  
She opened her eyes, and nearly fell backwards.  
  
Ryoko sat across from her timidly, studying her -- not amiably,  
but not with distaste either.  
  
"God, you scared me," Kiyone muttered. "At least you're out of  
the shadows now --"  
  
"I know you didn't do it," Ryoko interrupted quietly.  
  
"...?" Kiyone's eyebrow arched. "You do?"  
  
"Of course. I knew from the beginning -- why I questioned the  
truth, I don't know," Ryoko mumbled.  
  
Kiyone felt a wave of relief -- but that relief was replaced by anger.  
"If you knew from the beginning, why are you giving me all this shit  
about how I did it?!" she asked, standing up adamantly. "Do you  
know how many sleepless nights I've had, recklessly drowning in  
my own guilt?"  
  
"I needed someone to blame," Ryoko scowled. "And if you think  
that's stupid, fine. I don't know what to think anymore -- everything  
is just screwed up."  
  
Kiyone became quiet, and sat down again.  
  
"... It's not like I /wanted/ to blame you. Hell, I could've blamed  
someone else, yes -- Yoroshiku, the GP. Why I didn't still is  
confusing to me. Maybe I was just hurt -- hurt that you were  
standing there, gaping, while I was being chased. Hurt that you  
couldn't STOP the stupid GP. Why you couldn't tell them that  
you couldn't work with them anymore -- you actually had a family  
and they were arresting someone important to you."  
  
Kiyone flinched. "Ryoko..." She attempted searching for yet  
another excuse, and found none -- the ugly truth had been set  
out. Why /hadn't/ she spoke up? Why couldn't she tell them --  
  
"I was weak," Kiyone said softly. "And all I have to do is apologize  
to you, I can't say anything else. I'm sorry." She paused. "But I'm  
not weak anymore. I'm... changing. I'm going to back to Earth,  
with Mihoshi-san, with Tenchi-kun -- with everyone. I've resigned  
from Galaxy Police."  
  
Ryoko crossed her arms, lifting an eyebrow. "I suppose I can  
accept your apology," she mumbled, which translated to, "I'm  
sorry as well."  
  
"But you're still weak," Kiyone accused, ruining the brief moment  
of hope of a rekindled friendship.  
  
"... Excuse me?" Ryoko snapped.  
  
"... Come back to Earth with all of us," Kiyone suddenly said.  
  
Ryoko's eyes narrowed. "Not to that hell. I've had enough hell in  
my life, and I don't need to go there anymore."  
  
Kiyone crossed her arms as well. "I see... is Earth hell, or is  
seeing Tenchi-kun hell?"  
  
Silence.  
  
Then...  
  
"Shut up."  
  
Kiyone got up, getting ready to leave. "My time's up," she said. "I  
think Sasami-chan prepare a ship to Earth tomorrow. So make up  
your mind before then," she said rather cheerfully, hiding the dark  
mood that had permeated the room moments before.  
  
"I said I'm not going."  
  
"Just think about it," Kiyone said, moving towards the door. "And...  
about what you said? The whole ordeal with how Tenchi-kun found  
someone in his life and it isn't you?" She shook her head. "I think  
you're mistaken -- you'd be very surprised to know that you're very  
much wanted in his life."  
  
With that, Kiyone left the room, leaving Ryoko stunned and confused.  
  
---  
  
A pair of hands covered Aeka's eyes.  
  
"Da~are da?" said a voice timidly.  
  
"Sa... Sasami? Is that you?" Aeka said in surprise.  
  
The hands lifted from Aeka's face, and her little sister beamed. "I'm  
so glad you remembered my 'cute voice,'" she said, giggling. "What  
are you doing out here, in the garden?"  
  
The gentle roar of the small waterfall constructed by the pond gave  
a playful gurgle as Sasami splashed her hands by it, and Aeka did  
the same. "It gives me... a sense of peace, just standing out here.  
Almost like a recluse from this nightmare," Aeka said.  
  
"... You think it's a nightmare?" Sasami's tone had changed instantly  
-- from cheerful to an almost hurt tone.  
  
"Don't you? I mean, we're meeting up with old faces and all we do  
is get friction against each other," Aeka said curtly. "Although... I  
am glad to see you."  
  
"... I don't think it's a nightmare," Sasami said firmly. "It's more of a  
dream to me. All of us back together! And we're... sort of getting  
along. In a sense." She paused. "And we'll all live happily ever  
after at the end, anyway."  
  
"What makes you say that?" Aeka said, chuckling. "That's nowhere  
where we're heading."  
  
"You'll see. The pieces will come together once more," Sasami said.  
  
The subject drifted away, and Aeka breathed in the air calmly. Her  
heart pounded quickly -- not in anticipation of anything, but in anger.  
And sadness. She had never heard of a heart beating so fast due  
to sadness, but it was happening now. Almost a thrill of madness  
rushing throughout her nerves.  
  
"... Tenchi-niichan 'picked' Ryoko-oneechan, didn't he?"  
  
Sasami's voice was gentle and apologetic.  
  
Aeka stared at her. "How... you..." She gave a bitter laugh. "Did  
you suspect it, too, then? Am I the only one who's been blind  
enough not to know that he loved her from the beginning?"  
  
Sasami scuffled her feet. "He loves you too, Oneesama."  
  
"Yes. Do you know what he said to me? 'I love you, Aeka-san --  
but not the way you want me to. I love you -- not as a sister, but  
maybe a little more than friend -- but not as a lover. That's how I  
care about you." Tears brimmed her eyes and they overflowed  
before she could stop herself. "That's what he said."  
  
"Then you're special -- it's a special kind of love that he can't give  
to me or even Ryoko-oneechan," Sasami tried cheering her up.  
"One of a kind."  
  
"But I don't want that kind of love!" Aeka whispered, and burst  
into tears. Sasami hugged her gently, and spoke in a soothing  
voice -- one that was both her's and Tsunami's.   
  
"Let's look at it this way -- he finally 'chose' one of you, although I  
hate using that word, Oneesama. He loves all of us. I don't think  
he'll ever 'choose' a favorite. Ryoko-oneechan isn't necessarily his  
favorite and neither are you or me. He's simply saying that he has  
some feelings towards Ryoko-oneechan that he doesn't share with  
you or me. And c'mon, Aeka-oneesama! He says he doesn't see  
you in a sisterly way or even a friendly way -- 'a little more than a  
friend,' right? An interesting twist -- I guess Ryoko-oneechan might  
be a little ticked off at that, but that's one-of-a kind love!"  
  
"One-of-a-kind, huh?" Aeka said, sniffling, her tears drying up.  
  
"Exactly! No one else in our family shares that kind of love with  
you and Tenchi-niichan. That says something, doesn't it? Who  
cares if he 'love loves' Ryoko-oneechan. You're special!"  
  
Aeka laughed sadly. "Thank you for the effort, Sasami. I'll try to  
see things in that light from now on... you know, I wasn't really blind  
like I said. I was trying to hard to win him over..."  
  
"I know you were," Sasami said sadly. "I watched you. And then  
some days, I hated seeing you all sad and grumpy. Some days,  
I even wished that I wasn't friends with Ryoko-oneechan so I could  
do mean things to her and set up stuff so Tenchi-niichan wouldn't  
like her anymore. But... Ryoko-oneechan's a very special friend! I  
knew I couldn't do that -- even if you are my sister and all."  
  
"And I'm glad your better judgment saved you," Aeka said promptly.  
"I would hate for you to turn against Ryoko-san because of me... I  
still care about her, no matter how much we fight or argue."  
  
"And I'm sure she does too. Ryoko-oneechan's just not too open."  
  
"Except with Tenchi-sama," Aeka said softly.  
  
Sasami pursed her lips, giving a half-smile. "Well, cheer up,  
Oneesama. There /are/ other fish in the sea besides Tenchi-niichan  
-- and they probably aren't as indecisive as he is!"  
  
Aeka laughed. "I agree."  
  
"So you see? This isn't a nightmare," Sasami said softly. "It's a  
dream. Relieved of burdens. Finally set free. Right?"  
  
Aeka smiled. "Certainly a dream in disguise, then."  
  
---  
  
"Kiyone-dono said she's in the empty guest room down the hall."  
Washu looked at Kiyone for confirmation, who nodded. She, Kiyone,  
and Tenchi were huddled in a hallway.  
  
"Why are you telling me this?" Tenchi said softly. "You're her mother.  
Shouldn't you talk to her first?"  
  
"Kiyone-dono said it's best if you go talk to her," Washu said. "And  
even if I am her mother, I certainly haven't behaved like one for a while.  
And... you're closer to her. It doesn't matter if I can get in her head;  
she's blocked me out somehow at the moment, anyway."  
  
"... I don't know," Tenchi said uneasily. "I want to go talk to her --"  
  
"Tenchi-kun," Kiyone said firmly. "I think Ryoko-san has a bit of an  
misunderstanding at the moment. It's best if you go see her, and tell  
her yourself."  
  
"... Tell her? Now?!"  
  
"Well, do you see any other better time for it?" Washu scowled.  
Really! Sometimes, Tenchi-dono could be so indecisively stubborn!  
  
"Exactly. Cheer her up. I guarantee you'll either be glomped by her,  
strangled to death alive, and be graced with a smile," Kiyone said,  
smiling. "And I highly doubt you'll be rejected."  
  
Tenchi blanched, facefaulting. This scene seemed like something  
out of this soap operas on TV where the guy needed a pep talk  
before asking a girl out, or asking a girl to marry him, or asking a  
girl -- well, just about anything.  
  
"You /do/ want to rekindle the flame, don't you?" Washu murmured.  
  
"What?"  
  
"Hm? Oh, nothing," Washu said, smiling secretly. "Now, go on.  
You don't need back-up for this unless she tries to kill you."  
  
She gave him a forceful push, and Tenchi nearly fell. Stumbling  
down the hallway, Tenchi sighed, heading towards the empty guest  
room. // Trying to kill me? // he thought, hearing Washu's last  
comment in his head again, and gulped. He certainly didn't want  
that. Or rejection -- what if he got rejected by Ryoko because he  
had taken too long to confess? // I have my reasons, though... //  
  
He pushed the door to the empty guest room, greeted by darkness.  
He scowled, looking for a light switch, and instead, found a mangle  
of wires in the wall, and gulped again. Someone obviously didn't  
want the light. Blindly groping towards the large curtains, he tried  
to draw them back --  
  
A flash of light was suddenly at his neck and heat licked his chin.  
  
"What do you want?"  
  
Tenchi gave a yelp, falling backwards, bringing the curtains with him.  
They flew back, and light flooded in. A woman scowled, and Tenchi  
blinked, rubbing his head.  
  
Ryoko was in front of him, also having fallen on the ground, and her  
lightsaber was clutched in her head. Tenchi's hand immediately  
went towards his throat, and found his collar singed. He winced,  
but went over to Ryoko quickly. "Are you okay?" he said, helping  
her up.  
  
Ryoko's voice became timid. "T-Tenchi?!" She drew back, and the  
saber vanished. "... Did I hurt you?" Her voice was full of guilt.  
  
"No. You didn't," Tenchi reassured her. "You just singed my  
jacket a bit, but that's it. Nothing else."  
  
The cyan-haired woman found her sanctuary amidst the shadows  
in the back of the room again. "What do you want?" she asked,  
returning to her original question.  
  
"We need... to talk," Tenchi said nervously.  
  
Ryoko laughed cruelly. "Talk. That's all anybody wants to do  
with me. 'Let's talk, Ryoko. Let's talk about what happened. I  
need to explain.' Words can't show me anything, Tenchi. Do   
you understand? You can try to change things by talking... but  
what happened, happened!"  
  
Tenchi shut his eyes. He needed her to be quiet, to listen to  
him. Now she was rattling off about something... about talking?  
He sighed. He was feeling bolder than he had three years ago -- he  
certainly didn't need to hear this from Ryoko. Not now, anyway.  
  
Moving swiftly towards the shadows, his hand found her wrist and  
he attempted to yank her out from the shadows.  
  
"Let /go/ of me," Ryoko hissed, attempting to pull back her hand.  
  
"Please... let's talk. We can solve this problem, I know we can.  
All we need to do is just say... 'goodbye' to the past. Please,"  
Tenchi begged. Ryoko's lack of cooperation was beginning to nag  
him -- he wanted to tell her, but he couldn't. She was so touchy,  
and he understood her reasons, but...  
  
He sighed. She was babbling again, about talk. Something about  
how talk was cheap --  
  
And then he found himself kissing her.  
  
The shock swept over him, and he ended it abruptly, pulling back,  
dropping his iron-grip on her wrist.  
  
But she held him back.  
  
"I'm sorry," Tenchi immediately apologized, stammering, his face  
turning red. "I don't know what... I..."  
  
Ryoko stifled an odd laugh. "I see. You didn't enjoy it?"  
  
// Huh? //  
  
Tenchi turned red again. "Wh-what kind of question is that!"  
  
"An innocent one. What, I can't ask? If you want to know, I did."  
  
// Of course I liked it... but... I don't know why I did it. To shut you  
up? //  
  
Ryoko narrowed her eyes at him. "Or was it to shut me up?"  
  
// Was it? //  
  
"... No," Tenchi said, after a moment of uncomfortable silence.  
  
Ryoko smiled esoterically. "Don't you think Aeka would be upset  
if she found you like this?"  
  
"I thought you heard what I told Aeka-san," Tenchi said, confused.  
  
"I /did/. Don't you think I regret it?" Ryoko snapped fiercely. She  
released her grip on his hand this time, and timidly moved out of  
the shadows. Tenchi stared at her -- her face was tearstained, and  
an angry frown was etched on her brow.  
  
"... You regret it?" Tenchi said, feeling sick.   
  
"Of course! How would /you/ feel if you heard the person you cared  
about tell another person that they loved them?" Ryoko shrilled,  
scowling. She turned her face away, crossing her arms. "And  
what are you doing here? Giving me my consolation prize?"  
  
Tenchi gaped at her.  
  
// She thinks...   
  
// She thinks I said I loved Aeka-san? //  
  
He began to laugh. It was a gentle laugh, not ridiculing, but the  
woman in front of him was annoyed nonetheless. "What?" she  
snapped irritably. "Are you laughing at me?"  
  
Tenchi smiled, his laugh dying down. "Ryoko... you think I said  
I loved Aeka-san?"  
  
"... You do, don't you? 'Aeka-san, I love you,'" Ryoko mimicked.  
  
"I guess you didn't hear the end -- I said, 'Aeka-san, I love you, but  
not the way you want me to.'"  
  
A heavy silence permeated the room, and Tenchi felt nervous again.  
Ryoko was unpredictable -- there was no telling what she might do.  
  
"... So what does that mean?" Ryoko said softly, sniffling. She  
was drawing out of the shadows now, and Tenchi was suddenly  
very aware of how close she was to him. Normally, he would've  
kicked into panic mode, but this time... it was different.  
  
"It means...," he began slowly and hesitantly.  
  
Ryoko clung onto him, hugging him, and Tenchi held her tightly --  
if a bit awkwardly. How odd it felt... but so very right. He soothed  
her gently, running his hands through her mane of cyan hair.  
  
"... Just don't say anything else. Please," Ryoko whispered.  
  
"... I won't."  
  
"And don't leave me. Don't leave me alone anymore."  
  
"I promise. Remember? How I said we're saying goodbye to the  
past..."  
  
"Just shut up," Ryoko said good-naturedly.  
  
---  
  
EPISODE TEASER:  
  
Ryo-ohki: Miyaaa~aa! Finally, we're going home to Earth... home  
sweet home, miya! It seems everyone is happy... we're finally finishing  
up solving our problems, miya!   
  
Tenchi: But what about Sasami-chan? She seemed so down...  
  
Ryo-ohki: Next time, on Shattered Mirror: "Fairy Tales," miya! It's  
the final conclusion, miya!  
  
Tenchi: Please come back to Earth with me, minna...  
  
---  
  
AUTHOR's NOTES:  
  
Wow. o.O; Now I've firmly decided that I really dislike writing long  
dialogues. Or rather, I get bored easily. And my ideas run all over.  
Me... I'm not a fan of writing sappy T/R scenes. Why? Well, yes,  
I do love the idea of them together, but it involves OOC situations...  
let's also not forget that while SM has most of its characters OOC,  
I try not to go overboard. Hence I've kept Tenchi's nervousness and  
indecision-making around Ryoko a bit near the end, if somewhat  
spoiling the moment for T/R fans. It's also best to imagine Ryoko's  
voice being done by Orikasa Ai rather than Petrea Burchard for the  
series, if you can imagine such a thing like I can do. ;)  
  
The final chapter wraps up loose ends (hopefully) and will end this  
lengthy series. Hopefully, you've all enjoyed the story. The ending  
(which I've had in mind for a very long time) will maybe explain the  
OOCness. Some readers may be disappointed at the ending...  
hey, even though I had the idea, it sure makes me frustrated. But  
I put it in anyway. [What *is* it, you must be wondering? Well,  
you must wait!] Until then, tata!  
  
Japanese vocabulary // side notes:  
  
Yoroshiku: From the manga. Yoroshiku was a space pirate gang.  
Uhh... one example is from vol. 10, I think. _o Or vol. 11 --   
Mihoshi goes with Tenchi to visit her sick grandmother in space...  
suspicious Ryoko and Aeka follow her (although Washu tells them  
it's nothing and they don't believe her until Washu shows both girls  
and Sasami the hospital scene). Ryoko/Aeka get sympathetic,  
hoping for the best for Mihoshi (very funny scene there). But of  
course, Yoroshiku interrupts. Ryoko/Aeka decide to fight off  
Yoroshiku so Mihoshi doesn't have to perform her police duties.  
  
dare da?: "who's this"? In this situation, it'd mean, "who am I?"  
  
Happy reading. ^_^ [And excuse the delay for this chapter. I would  
have had up earlier had Fanfiction.net's server not shut down for the  
few days...]  
  
-- Emily Koh  
August 6, 2001  



End file.
